THE 2016 season is gaining momentum now for John Oxx. He didn’t have any winners at Leopardstown on Thursday evening, but his two runners, Drake Passage and Avenante, ran very well; both finished a close-up second. That followed a winner and a second from two runners at Killarney on Wednesday, and one winner from three runners at Dundalk on Tuesday.

Oxx has never been one to have his horses gunning from the first day of the season, he has always preferred to allow them time to find their rhythm, ease their way into the season. Oxx has always been a slow burn. Even so, to have to wait until June this year for his first winner of 2016 was late enough even by his standards.