A
Auguste Rodin, he made a briefer impact this year;
Al Riffa, a rare Irish Group 1 winner in Germany;
Afsoora, all the way from Australia to Royal Ascot;
Anmaat, shock winner of the Champions Stakes;
Amo Racing, it’s only just begun?;
Affordability checks, scourge of modern betting;
Alphonse Le Grande, he won, then didn’t, then he did!
B
Bluestocking, another Arc winner for Juddmonte;
Beckett, Ralph, hit the training heights; Bradsell, champion sprinter;
Believing, the unluckiest sprinter;
Bowen, Sean D, top effort to take apprentice title in Britain;
Babouche, Group 1 winner for Ger Lyons;
Bedtime Story, impressed at Ascot;
BHA, can do no right;
Ballyburn, top novice hurdler, can do no wrong?;
Brighterdaysahead, a top mare?;
Brosnan Racing, new owners group
C
Constitution Hill, his absence left a hole in the hurdlers;
City Of Troy, how good was he?;
Captain Guinness, rewarded on the big day for his efforts;
Content, in the books as Galileo’s 100th Group/Grade 1 winner;
Charyn, few better milers;
Christie, David, steered Winged Leader towards a record win total;
Caldwell Construction, dispersal sale put over €5 million through the ring;
Camelot, terrific year with Luxembourg, Bluestocking and Los Angeles
D
Dolan, Robbie, stole the show in Melbourne;
Do Deuce, Japan’s top colt;
Desert Flower, Godolphin’s top juvenile;
Dubawi, always in demand;
Dark Angel, champion sire
E
Economics, top three-year-old colt;
Emalka, 1000 Guineas winner;
Ezeliya, another Weld Oaks winner; Energumene, don’t write him off;
Ewing, Sam, coming of age with a Cheltenham Grade 1
F
Fierceness, top American three-year-old;
Fairy Godmother, top juvenile filly;
Frankel, still the top sire;
Fact To File, tip-top novice and Gold Cup contender;
Flooring Porter, Kerry National winner; Fallen Angel, Irish classic winner
G
Galopin Des Champs, outstanding dual Gold Cup winner;
Gaelic Warrior, top novice chaser;
Goliath, King George winner;
Gambling Bill, passed to law, let’s see what happens
H
Hanlon, Shark, in the news for good and bad;
Hewick, King Geoge winner;
Hayes, Chris, a British classic winner; Hotazhell, Group 1 winning juvenile
I
I Am Maximus, Grand National winner;
Istabraq, farewell to the most popular NH horse;
Intense Raffles, progressed quickly to take the Irish National;
Its On The Line, top hunter chaser
J
Jan Brueghel, St Leger winner;
James, Rob, 800 point-to-point winners;
Joorabchian, Kia, biggest spender on the sales circuit;
Justify, US sire earning the hype?
K
Keane, Colin, champion jockey again;
Kennedy, Jack, NH champion jockey;
Ka Ying Rising, Hong Kong champion sprinter;
Kyprios, stayer supreme;
Keane, Gerry, great day at Royal Ascot
L
Lyons, Ger, Group 1s in Britain;
Lossiemouth, top jumps mare;
Lope De Vega, terrific year for the Ballylinch sire;
Look De Vega, impressive Jockey Club winner and new sire;
Los Angeles, Irish Derby winner;
Levey, Sean, multiple Group 1s in the bag;
Lukas, D Wayne, back in the classic scene in US;
Lake Victoria, top juvenile filly with three Group 1s;
Laurel River, surprise winner of the Dubai World Cup;
Limestone Lad, another old hero left us
M
Mullins x 3 – Willie, Danny and Patrick dominated, and it was farewell to Maureen;
Majborough, top new juvenile star; Moore, Ryan, as dominant as ever in the saddle;
McManus, J.P, terrific year for the owner’s green and gold;
Mangan, Jimmy, at the Grade 1 table again;
Magical Zoe, another big flat handicap back to Ireland via Henry de Bromhead
Macdermott, first Irish-trained Scottish National winner in a century;
McPeek, Kenny, Kentucky Derby and Oaks double;
Mystik Dan, Kentucky Derby winner; Martin, Tony, in the headlines for celebrating;
Msqe De Sevigne, top French filly;
McNamara, Eric, fine season for the Limerick trainer;
Mehmas, among the sires in demand
N
Notable Speech, Guineas and Sussex Stakes winner;
Nurburgring, Galway Hurdle winner; Norton, Franny, retired with a treble at Chester
O
O’Brien, Aidan, champion trainer in Britain and Ireland;
O’Neill, Barry, joint champion point-to-point rider;
Opera Singer, another Group 1 winner for Justify;
O’Donnell, Pat, York win and interview of the year;
O’Sullivan, Ross, progresssive year
P
Pinkerton, Galway Plate winner;
Porta Fortuna, triple Group 1 winning filly;
Petrol Head, trouble and strife at Galway
Q
Quinn, Jimmy, called time on long career
R
Ryan, Rossa, terrific year crowned by Arc success;
Ryan, James, champion apprentice; Rebel’s Romance, Breeders’ Cup winner again;
Romantic Warrior, Hong Kong’s international champion;
Regent’s Stroll, most expensive jumps horse at auction at £660,000;
Resolute Racing, new players on the European scene;
Repole, Mike, US owner moving to Europe;
Ramantuelle, top French filly, got her Group 1 at ParisLongchamp, but ruled out in Del Mar;
Rosallion, dual Group 1 winner and better to come?;
RTE Investigates, turned up some unpleasant discoveries
S
State Man, the champion hurdler;
Sparking Plenty, French Oaks winner and sold for £5,000,000 at Goffs;
Stoute, Sir Michael, farewell from the training ranks;
Sway, dam of two Cheltenham 2024 winners;
Sir Gino, top juvenile hurdler?;
Sierra Leone, came good when it mattered in the Breeders’ Cup Classic;
Starlust, Breeders’ Cup winner;
Spillane’s Tower, Grade 2 winner and Gold Cup contender?;
Shadow Of Light, Top two-year-old;
Scorthy Champ, Group 1-winning juvenile;
Slevin, J.J, plundered many top prizes T
T
Thorpedo Anna, top US filly and likely Horse of the Year;
Townend, Paul, top jumps jockey for the big days;
Teahupoo, top staying hurdler;
Tamfana, Group 1-winning filly;
The Lion in Winter, no Group 1, but is he the best Ballydoyle juvenile?;
Skelton, Dan, put up spirited challenge for NH trainers’ title
U
Uncle Mo – Top US sire was lost in December;
Uxmal - His Ascot win gave each of the O’Brien’s a Royal winner
V
Via Sistina, took Australia by storm
W
Weld, Dermot, on the classic roll of honour again;
Wootton Bassett, top sire with a host of good two-year-olds;
Winged Leader, top pointer;
Wathnan, new name on the owners’ board;
White Birch, Group 1 winner for the Murphys
Y
You Got To Me, Irish Oaks winner and sold for 4,800,000gns
Z
Zarigana, beaten a nose in the Boussac, but still could be a top filly