Saxon Warrior tearing up the Rowley Mile to win the 2000 Guineas and being made odds-on favourite for the Derby (evens Paddy Power and 188) and with talk of an attempt at the Triple Crown – jockey Donnacha O’Brien, 19, taking over from brother Joseph as a Classic-winning jockey from the Ballydoyle clan
Nothing fluky about Billesdon Brook from Richard Hannon’s yard winning the 1000 Guineas at 66-1 and giving jockey Sean Levey his first Classic win with a positive ride to snatch victory on the line
Dr Marwan Koukash remaining fully clothed when receiving the Chester Cup for the fourth time when Fran Berry lands the race for the Ian Williams’ trained Magic Circle – Koukash had threatened to emulate snooker’s new World Champion Mark Williams who conducted the post-final press conference naked but racecourse officials advised against it
ITV Racing covering Sandown’s evening fixture oo 24 May featuring the Brigadier Gerard Stakes
The jumps season returning with Harry and Dan Skelton winning four of Uttoxeter’s six races
Kieren Fallon’s autobiography, Form, shortlisted for the International Autobiography category in the Waterstones/Cross Sport Book awards
Two breaks, of six days and five days, being introduced for Flat fixtures in 2019, and 8.30 finishes for floodlight fixtures in January to April and September to December, to help avoid burnout of jockeys and stable staff in a season which could well see a record number of race-meetings
STEWARDS ROOM
…and what hasn’t been so good
Sickening violence at Goodwood involving 50 people and leaving three hospitalised
In-fighting at the BHA involving a schism between chairman Steve Harman and a number of board members, and an investigation into a conflict of interest concerning Harman’s when he hosted the head of a new consortium set to invest in the Tote at the Cheltenham Festival
Enable suffering a setback which sees him out of action until August
A bruising experience for Aiden O’Brian at the Kentucky Derby where his charge, the hotly fancied Mendelssohn finished last on a more than sloppy track after missing the break
Australian trainer Robert Smerdon receiving a life ban and four others being banned for between four and one year for their involvement in administrating sodium bicarbonate to horses (known as ‘milkshaking’) before they ran to improve performance
Colm O’Donoghue receiving a €1,000 fine for being verbally abusive and rude to medical staff at Dundalk after he’d parted company from a horse after the finishing line
