John Murtagh misses the end of term wind up at Leopardstown tomorrow but the absence of the star name of 2,000 won`t stop people reflecting on what has been possibly the most successful flat season for Ireland ever.
Not since 1977 when The Minstrel and Alleged were in their pomp have Irish trained horses made such an international impact. But this year has also seen the Irish names of Muratagh and John Oxx gain the sort of worldwide clout normally reserved in recent times for Aidan O`Brien and Mick Kinane.
The double Derby and Arc winner Sinndar, off a likely rating of 132, will be ranked Europe`s champion three-year-old when the international handicappers gauge the year and the Prix de L`Abbaye winner Namid is also in the reckoning to be made champion sprinter.
'On a line through Pipalong it would be hard to have Namid behind Nuclear Debate,' said Ireland`s handicapper Gary O`Gorman yesterday. 'There is also a good chance of Minardi being the champion two-year-old based on his Heinz winning form.'
That would make a healthy championship total for Ireland although possibly the most charismatic horse of the year, Giants Causeway, is still rated some way from the very top.
'The inital view after the Breeders Cup was to put Tiznow on 127 and Giants Causeway on 126. That`s just 1lb short of Giants Causeway`s very best European mark and in the conditions and the circumstances it was arguably his finest hour. But these figures could be upgraded,' said O`Gorman.
On the home front Pat Smullen has won his first jockeys championship, going into tomorrow with a total of 79 winners. That`s 13 ahead of Murtagh who in turn is just one ahead of Kinane. But in Irish prizemoney terms Kinane comes out on top and has notched up more than double Smullen`s total. Kinane has won over £1.3 million with Smullen on just over £600,000.
It`s the same on the trainer table. Dermot Weld has won 83 races compared to O`Brien`s 71 but the prizemoney tally of £637,422 pales in comparison to the Ballydoyle trainer`s £1.62 million.
Nothing much is going to change on the last lap of the season at the Foxrock track although Kinane has enough chances to leapfrog Murtagh into second place in the table.
However with £162,000 worth of prizemoney on offer there are more than a few prizes worth lifting, none more so than the Leopardstown November Handicap where Kinane rides the likely favourite Tryphaena.
This mare has resisted the lure of Cheltenham to come here and on the back of an apparently unlucky fourth in the English Cesarewtich she is sure to be a popular choice.
However she is hardly a good thing in such a competetive race and maybe the value will lie with the lightweight Hanger Straight who sluiced up over a mile and a half at Galway on very testing ground. Smullen can follow the winning pattern he has maintained all year though and score on Major Force in the Knockaire Stakes. Weld hasthree in the race but Major Force thrives on the soft and showed a return to form when easily winning over the course last time.
Regarding the year 2001 however the most interesting runner tomorrow could be the Sadler`s Wells filly Lime Gardens who impressed on her debut over seven furlongs and should thrive on the quarter mile extra of the Eyrefield Stakes.
