FOR me, the standout element of the 2024 Irish flat season was Britain’s success in our Group 1 races. It began with a cleansweep of the classics, and Rosallion and Haatem providing Richard Hannon with a 1-2 in the Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas, a race his father won on three occasions.

Hannon Jr couldn’t, or refused to, hide what the win meant to him, and said: “It’s emotional, because so much work goes into these horses at home with a big team. I’m really pleased. These days are very rare and we’re going to enjoy it.”

Aidan O’Brien’s River Tiber fared best of the home team, but some Irish pride could be felt in the success of rider Sean Levey, for whom it was a homecoming of sorts. Rosallion and Haatem’s second and third placings in the Newmarket equivalent, Rosallion’s subsequent success at Royal Ascot, meant that our classic could be declared a strong renewal, even the prizes were taken overseas.

British-trained horses won three of the four stakes races on the day, and though Irish trainers reversed the ratio the following day, Karl Burke secured the centrepiece with an impressive Fallen Angel. A Lilac Rolla, Paddy Twomey’s charge who had made it three from three in a Group 3, chased her home, followed by Aidan O’Brien’s Opera Singer.

Since then, Clipper Logistics sold the winner to Wathnan Racing and parted ways with Danny Tudhope, while the filly finished an honourable second in the Matron Stakes and fourth in the Prix de l’Opera. It’s a pity that the runner-up only ran once more, but that’s more than can be said for the fourth Buttons, though Opera Singer held up the form with a Group 1 victory.

Stepping stone to Arc heroics

The next British trainer to raid the Curragh’s Group 1 riches was Ralph Beckett, and the appearance of his subsequent Arc heroine Bluestocking in the Cairn Community Games Pretty Polly Stakes was something to celebrate. Irish eyes also smiled on her partner Rossa Ryan, for whom it was a first top-flight success in Ireland.

Hector Crouch was the man responsible for steering Beckett’s You Got To Me to victory in the Juddmonte Irish Oaks, in which she was chased home by Ballydoyle’s Pretty Polly fourth Content, who would gain her revenge at York next time out. Paddy Twomey gained another Group 1 placing, as Purple Lily produced a career-best performance in third.

William Haggas finished sixth in the Irish trainers’ table based on prize money, the most notable of his three wins undoubtedly that of Economics in the Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes. These days particularly, we have to be grateful for major race sponsors, and the sponsor may have been the catalyst for Economics travelling to Leopardstown, for it was also his owner Isa Salman Al Khalifa.

We need also be grateful for the presence of Japanese raider Shin Emperor, who added international flavour in third, for without them, it would have been a Ballydoyle 1-2, courtesy of Rodin and Los Angeles. Not that I have any problem with Aidan O’Brien, of course, he is the one who places Irish racing on the world stage, time and time again, but the British and Japanese raiders ensured a thrilling and iron-clad renewal.

Irish sprint division lacking

In the sprint division, British horses gave our stakes races clout, with the unfortunate lack of quality Irish speedsters these days, though My Mate Alfie looks destined for bigger and better things in 2025. The first four home in the 2023 Flying Five Stakes had never before conquered Group 1 level, nor did they since, so the decision by British trainers to send proven Group 1 performers to the 2024 renewal came as a relief.

It provided Archie Watson’s Bradsell with his third success at the highest level, whilst Believing, the unofficial bridesmaid of the year, added gravitas in second. Her terrific season also boosted the Barberstown Castle Sapphire Stakes, which she won in July, whilst Flying Five third Makarova followed up with her maiden Group 1 win in the Prix de l’Abbaye.

Kind Of Blue was another British sprinter to add weight to Irish sprint form this term, having separated Givemethebeatboys and My Mate Alfie in the FBD Hotels And Resorts Heritage Hotel Phoenix Sprint Stakes. James Fanshawe’s charge went on to land the Group 1 Qipco British Champions Sprint Stakes next time out.

We often bemoan British National Hunt trainers for their lack of involvement on Irish shores, so we cannot complain when their flat counterparts do as we plead. They added interest and competition to the latest Irish flat season, but my one concern would be Ireland’s evident lack of classy sprinters.

There was a time when they were one of our best assets, aside from Ballydoyle’s talents, when the likes of Gordon Lord Byron, Maarek, Sole Power and Slade Power flew the Irish flag around the globe. Irish trainers regularly complain about Irish prize money, and how the unsatisfactory levels encourage owners to sell horses abroad – see Ger Lyons in last week’s edition, Kevin Coleman this week, and Ado McGuinness in a Big Interview earlier this year – and that’s only off the top of my head, and based on this publication alone.

THERE was no change in the top two Irish trainers by winners, with father and son Aidan and Joseph O’Brien filling those placings with 131 and 89 wins respectively. It represented an increase of 26 for Ballydoyle and 10 for O’Brien Jr, while Ger Lyons overtook Jessica Harrington in third place, with 62 wins versus 58.

Ger Lyons’ fine season coincided with a career-best tally for stable jockey Colin Keane, whom Lyons regularly praised, whilst regularly reminding us that the raw material is what makes the biggest difference. Juddmonte home-bred Babouche provided the trainer with his first Group 1 success since Siskin, when extending her unbeaten record in the Group 1 Keeneland Phoenix Stakes.

“Lads talk about Group 1s and that Irish racing’s in a poor state, because of Group 1s [going abroad],” he said at the Curragh that day. “These horses are hard to find, you know? The whole thing about winning the Group 1s is sourcing the horses – there’s only one outfit on the planet, who can source the horse consistently and that’s Aidan’s [O’Brien]. But, when the rest of us get the chance, we can do it. So, it’s nice to get the chance, but it’s rare for most of us.”

Babouche was one of many notable juveniles for the team in 2024, with Chantez gaining a stakes win at the Irish Champions Festival, while Red Letter was only beaten a length and a half in the Moyglare Stud Stakes. They, along with My Mate Alfie, Mutasarref and Quadruple leave connections with plenty to dream about over the winter.

Spread of riches

You can add Crystal Black to that list for Colin Keane, following his unbeaten season for Ger Keane, culminating in an impressive five-length romp in the Group 3 Xin Gin Ballyroan Stakes. Then there’s the John Murphy-trained White Birch, whom Keane steered to Group 1 glory in the Tattersalls Gold Cup, bringing his seasonal record to three from three.

“We’ve been waiting a long time for one as good as him,” George Murphy said after his father trained his first Group 1 winner. Unfortunately, the grey hasn’t been seen since, due to unsatisfactory blood tests and most recently due to a strain, but fingers crossed for more luck in 2025.

Jessica Harrington’s seasonal highlights also lend themselves to winter dreaming, her biggest wins coming courtesy of juvenile colts Hotazhell and Green Impact. The former, who is owned by the US-based Silverton Hill Partnership, never ran a bad race, and demonstrated a game attitude when gaining his second blacktype win in the Group 2 Beresford Stakes.

Group 1 success at Doncaster next time out, confirmed he is a live classic hope in 2025, as is his stablemate Green Impact. Marc Chan’s raw home-bred shaped like there is much more to come, when he landed the Group 2 KPMG Champions Juvenile Stakes. In the immediate aftermath, connections firmly stated that the winner would not run again at two.

“He’s a very big horse,” Harrington said. “I think we probably haven’t seen the best of him yet. We can dream all winter.”

Juvenile division

The strength of Irish juvenile form was evident in the Group 2 Coolmore Stud Wootton Bassett Irish EBF Futurity Stakes, as even though it only had four runners, produced three Group 1 winners.

The winner, Henri Matisse, when on to land the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf and the runner-up, Hotazhell, has already been discussed. Chasing them home in third was the Joseph O’Brien-trained Scorthy Champ on just his second start. He went on to win the Group 1 Goffs Vincent O’Brien National Stakes, so who knows what he’s capable of next season.

The 2024 top-rated Irish juvenile, an honour usually reserved to colts, is the brilliant Lake Victoria. The Coolmore home-bred is rated 119 after an unbeaten season led by three top-flight wins, the first of which came in the Moyglare Stud Stakes. She was considered Ballydoyle’s second string that day, and it was Wayne Lordan who steered her home.

Sharing second in the juvenile ratings is Curragh maiden winner Expanded, who was beaten just a neck next time out in the Dewhurst, and unbeaten stablemate The Lion In Winter. The biggest surprise for me in the ratings is that Babouche shares the eighth highest rating of 111 with Bedtime Story and Red Letter.

Granted, she may not be quite as good as Lake Victoria yet, but the manner of her Group 1 victory was impressive, beating a subsequent Prix Morny winner. Bedtime Story may have looked just as talented in the Chesham Stakes, but her subsequent performances were much less inspiring, and she and Red Letter had three in front of them in the Moyglare Stud Stakes. Hardly the same as a taking Group 1 win against colts?

Looking forward

I needn’t check the ratings to know that Aidan O’Brien was responsible for the season’s top sprinter in Kyprios, who doesn’t appear to have much competition for the title next year. O’Brien’s first domestic Group 1 of the season was secured by Los Angeles in the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby.

Ambiente Friendly added intrigue in third, having chased home City Of Troy in the Epsom classic, but his subsequent disappointments watered down the form of a race that, for a long time, has been a poor relation to Britain and France.

On that note, it was disappointing that we never got to see City Of Troy on home soil in 2024, and won’t again in a racecourse setting. Nor did we see the joint fourth highest-rated horse of the year, Al Riffa, who ran twice in France and once in Britain, Germany and the US. Perhaps something for the race planning committee to consider going forward.

Porta Fortuna did, thankfully, treat us to an in-person display of her talents at Leopardstown on the first day of the Irish Champions Festival. Donnacha O’Brien’s stable star confirmed her superiority over Irish 1000 Guineas heroine Fallen Angel, and the ensuing enthusiasm from her American owners added to the memorable moment.

The four-time Group 1 winner is said to be staying in training as a four-year-old. Here’s hoping connections are rewarded for their sportsmanship.