THE Galway Races seemed to hit all the right buttons again over the seven-day extravaganza, giving racing a bit of a boost.

A quick look through the opening four days and the feature races gave a snap shot of the current racing scene in Ireland. You had the old king, never to be written off in flat handicaps, Dermot Weld winning the Colm Quinn BMW Mile on the Tuesday; the big two in the National Hunt scene sharing the two big jumps races, Willie Mullins taking the Hurdle and his ever-constant pursuer Gordon Elliott winning the Plate. And then there was the up and coming young wheeler-dealer Emmet Mullins getting in on the act in the Connaught Hotel QR Race. Those last-named three trainers are likely to remain prominent during the upcoming jumps season.

WITH September approaching and the Listowel Harvest Festival signalling the traditional return of the better National Hunt horses, the question on everyone’s lips remains ‘Where will Constitution Hill go?’

From Nicky Henderson and Michael Buckley’s interviews this week, it seems to be more likely that the star hurdler stays over the smaller obstacles. The Henderson comment: “You would want to be thinking along the Gold Cup lines, that would be the reason for going chasing,” would seem to eliminate a two-mile chasing campaign, even if a champion hurdler going on to win a Champion Chase would be something pretty notable.

But that Dawn Run historic double stands alone as an achievement yet to be equalled.

There were divided opinions on whether Constitution Hill’s win in the two and a half mile Aintree Hurdle suggested he might be as good going three miles.

Another season hurdling would see him then eight years old in a novice racing season. Perhaps his free-going, standing-off style might be risky over two miles and fences, and a longer trip would be slower and safer.

His plans will be eagerly awaited and could result in many good hurdlers suddenly being schooled over fences if another Champion Hurdle is his target.

AND so – the French authorities intend to bring in immediate disqualification if a rider strikes a horse more than nine times. Now, nine is a lot and, with four strokes the permitted number, you would think nine should not be exceeded.

But someone is bound to accidentally fall foul of it. And how long before Britain follows?

The day a horse as brave as Native River winning the Gold Cup is then disqualified because his rider might have gone one or two too many hits over, in the heat of the moment, is the day racing’s administrators stab their sport in the heart.