LET’S be honest, it’s been a tough old year.

You couldn’t go to Cheltenham, couldn’t get tickets for Galway, and that horse you have a share in got Covid. But sure you have your health and the racing is still going, thank God.

Your luck is due to change and it might well start now. Have a go at this quiz and you could make a winning start to 2022.

To enter, just email your answers to fieldcomp@theirishfield.ie by Monday, January 3rd. Put ‘Christmas Quiz’ in the subject header and remember to include your name and full postal address. Just one email entry allowed per email address. Or you can post your answers to Christmas Quiz, The Irish Field, Irish Farm Centre, Bluebell, Dublin 12.

1: “He’s a very, very good horse. He is a slow learner, a bit like myself, but we’ll get there in the end.” – Who said these words after a major Irish race this year?

2: Panama Red, Atomic Jones, Camorra, Thunder Kiss, Masen. Which one of those is the odd one out?

3: Brian Kavanagh stepped down as CEO of Horse Racing Ireland in September. For how many years was he in the job?

4: Which big race winner of 2021 was returned at 150/1?

5: Name the American who trained two winners under NH rules here in April before returning to the US where Grade 1 glory awaited.

6. How many Festival races did Henry de Bromhead and Willie Mullins win this year between them?

7. Who was the leading sire at the 2021 Festival?

8. Name the British trainers to train Festival winners this year.

9. Which horse was the shortest priced favourite to be beaten at the Festival?

10. Name the odd one out: Keith Donoghue, Richie Condon, Ryan Mania, Kevin Sexton, Lorcan Williams.

11: Which Breeders’ Cup race winner did not actually win, from a punter’s point of view?

12: “I cannot believe he won this race. That little horse, that was him, all guts. He’s always shown that he’s been an overachiever. His heart is bigger than his body.” What big race winner, still facing disqualification, is being described here by his trainer?

13: Name the Irish jockey who left Hong Kong after an 11-year stint there in July.

14: Joseph O’Brien and Johnny Allen combined to win what Group 1 race in 2021?

15: Which Godolphin horse won big races this year in Saudi Arabia, Britain, France and America before being retired to stand in Ireland?

16: What leading performer of 2021 was by Siyouni out of Cabaret?

17: In what country will Poetic Flare stand in 2022?

18: Which Irish sale saw British buyers confined to their hotel after an overnight change of mind by the public health authorities?

19: What stud supplied eight of the 10 top-priced lots at the Goffs Autumn Yearling Sale?

20: Name the 2021 big race winner by King’s Theatre out of Novacella.

21: Name Rachael’s six winners at the 2021 Cheltenham Festival.

22: A day before she rode the Grand National winner, Rachael rode another Irish-trained winner at Aintree. Name the horse and the trainer.

23: “Led, hit 3rd, jumped right 8th and 4 out, joined after 3 out, headed before 2 out where mistake, sprawled on landing and brought to a standstill, left alone”. What Cheltenham winner ridden by Rachael Blackmore is described here.

24: Which of these awards did Rachael not win this year?

>McCoy Racing Ride of the Year

>Tipperary Association Dublin Person of the Year

>HRI Ride of the Year

>Horseracing Writers & Photographers Jump Jockey of the Year

25: True or false, Rachael has only ridden in one race at Haydock in her career to-date, and that was on A Plus Tard last month.

(Questions 26-30 require you to name the masked individuals pictured below)

26 (left):

I saddled this lad to win his 14th race at Dundalk

27 (below):

My placing is mustard!

28 (left):

I don't have a pyle of winners but I have one very good horse

29 (below):

Jockey, trainer, box driver - I can do it all

30 (left):

I finally got my Group 1 winner