The temperatures may have been sub-zero over the festive period and curtailed some race meetings but several RACE graduates experienced the warm glow of success over the high-profile holiday race programme.

David Casey (grad. 1992) was on the top of his game when winning the feature at Limerick on St Stephen’s Day aboard Dancing Tornado for Michael Hourigan. Success in the Grade 2 Guinness Greenmount Park Novice Chase over 2m 3f was followed the next day with a quick-fire double at Leopardstown. Victory in the paddypowertrader.com maiden hurdle aboard Prince of Fire for Charlie Swan was the prelude to another superbly-judged front-running ride on Bobsthewizard (5-1) in the paddypower.com handicap hurdle for Francis Flood.

Also at Limerick on St Stephen’s Day, Sean Flanagan (grad. 2005) brought home the favourite Rigour Back Bob for Edward O’Grady, scoring by three lengths in the O’Kelly Bros Contractors Hurdle with a polished performance. Three days later at the same track, Flanagan had another impressive three-length win aboard Take It Easee in the first division of the Munster Maiden Hurdle for trainer Prunella Dobbs.

Other notable jumps winners at home included Conor O’Farrell (grad. 2006) who extracted a fine front-running effort from Western Leader to capture the Ryans Event Cleaners Maiden Hurdle at Leopardstown on 29^th December for trainer Shark Hanlon and owner Barry Connell. At Limerick on the same day, Sean McDermott (grad. 1999), who rides out for trainer Michael Hourigan two mornings a week, put the “horses for courses” maxim into play when guiding The Flying Dustman to a two-length win in the Limerickraces.ie Handicap Chase. Eighteen-year-old Frankie Lawlor (grad. 2008) had his first winner on 27^th December at Down Royal and Patrick Kennedy his first winner in the paid ranks at Tramore on 1^st January (more details in graduate news section).

Across the water, Daryl Jacob’s (grad. 2000) star continued to rise with notable Grade 1 wins on big race days. At Chepstow on 28^th December, he partnered 10-1 chance Me Voici to a ten-length victory in the £50,000 Coral Future Champions Juvenile Hurdle for trainer Nick Williams and the following day at Newbury he brought home Reve de Sivola in the £42,000 Challow Novices Hurdle for the same trainer to complete a highly impressive Grade 1 double and add to his growing reputation.

Jonathan Farrelly (grad. 2001) was another to taste success over the festive season with a winner at Wincanton on St Stephen’s Day and an impressive double at Plumpton on 3^rd January.

While the big National Hunt races get all the attention at this time of year, flat racing continues in the UK on the all-weather tracks and RACE graduates continued to shine over the Christmas period. Shane Kelly (grad. 1995) had a very productive week, with winners on St Stephen’s Day at Wolverhampton, Southwell on 27^th December and a double at the same track on the following day. Other leading jockeys to score all-weather winners included Jimmy Quinn (grad. 1983), Robert Winston (grad. 1996), Joe Fanning (grad. 1986) and Declan Cannon (grad. 2004) who had a treble at Southwell on New Year’s Day.

Pic: David Casey and Dancing Tornado en route to victory at Limerick on St Stephen’s Day.