Ten takeaways from the 2019-20 Irish National Hunt season

The usual suspects prevailed as the Irish National Hunt season prematurely drew to a close, but Mark Boylan highlights ten alternative takeaways from a quality-filled campaign . . .

1. Novice chasers at centre of excitement

Leopardstown will be waiting quite some time before it witnesses a reception like the one Faugheen received after landing the Flogas Novice Chase at the Dublin Racing Festival – just one of a catalogue of indelible memories from the novice chasing division this season.

The incredible 12-year-old's dominant Christmas victory over Samcro must go down as one of the greatest races ever staged at Limerick, while the Drinmore Novice Chase at Fairyhouse, where Fakir D'Oudairies cashed in on Samcro's departure two out, divided opinion like few other races this season.

Notebook: got the better of Fakir D'Oudairies in the Racing Post Novice ChaseCredit: Patrick McCann

Do not forget about Notebook either. His jumping display in the Racing Post Novice Chase at Leopardstown in December was a thing of beauty and his Irish Arkle battle with Cash Back was another highlight of a tremendous campaign of novice chasing.

2. Riders' resilience rewarded

The 2019-20 season rewarded several tales of resilience, of the equine and human variety, and Jody Townend's comeback victory aboard Great White Shark at the Galway festival deserves special mention.

The younger sister of champion jockey Paul, Jody Townend spent nine months on the sidelines after breaking her T12 vertebra, which required the insertion of six screws and two rods. An infection in her spine following the surgery meant a delayed return with the metal having to be removed.

Jody Townend: enjoyed big-race success aboard Great White Shark at the Galway festivalCredit: Patrick McCann

The delight on the then 21-year-old's face after guiding Willie Mullins' mare to victory was one of the festival's brightest moments, while David Mullins' impressive four-month recovery from a spinal fracture suffered at Thurles in October also deserves high praise.

3. Conditionals serve up spectacular tallies

Spare a thought for rising star Kevin Brouder, whose fine closing tally of 40 winners was not enough to see him land the conditional riders' championship. That number of victories would have seen him crowned champion in all bar two seasons since the turn of the millennium.

Darragh O'Keeffe: crowned champion conditional after a highly successful campaignCredit: Alain Barr

All credit goes to bright prospect Darragh O'Keeffe. His remarkably rapid start to the campaign, hitting the 40-winner mark by early October, saw him break the record for most winners ridden by a conditional in a single season, finishing with 45 successes.

4. Byrnes well able to bring home the bacon

Charles Byrnes continued his excellent record in the Ladbrokes Hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival when Thosedaysaregone, originally priced up at 20-1, rewarded strong market support as a 7-1 chance to land the €150,000 prize – just one example of the shrewd trainer hitting the target with great accuracy this term.

A late plunge (8-1 from 16) on Mr Smith in a handicap hurdle at the Galway festival saw Byrnes' dual-purpose performer land the second leg of a summer hat-trick, while The Big Galloper, sent off 7-4 having been as big as 16-1 earlier in the day, landed a touch the following month at Roscommon.

Charles Byrnes: enjoyed a fine season with ThosedaysaregoneCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

5. Summer stars shine on season's biggest stages

It was not just the winter warriors of National Hunt racing that prospered at the major spring festivals – this year there were plenty of summer stars shining on bigger stages at the business end of the campaign.

Put The Kettle On, Henry de Bromhead's Racing Post Arkle heroine, rattled off four wins on the bounce at Kilbeggan, Downpatrick, Tipperary and Wexford during the summer before hitting the big time at Cheltenham last month.

Put The Kettle On: enjoyed a fruitful summer before taking her form to a new level at CheltenhamCredit: Patrick McCann

Darver Star, who also won four on the bounce early in the season, made remarkable progress through the ranks to finish second in the Irish Champion Hurdle and third in the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham.

Shock 50-1 Listowel winner Treacysenniscorthy was another to record high-profile handicap hurdle wins at Leopardstown's Christmas festival and the Dublin Racing Festival, proving summer form can translate to the winter.

6. Veterans continue to defy convention

Everybody loves a golden oldie and this season has been full of heart-warming veteran successes – none more so than the mighty Faugheen – who rolled back the years to win two Grade 1s during a campaign in which he turned 12.

On The Fringe: popular veteran still going strong for Enda BolgerCredit: Patrick McCann

The summer was lit up by the ever-popular 14-year-old On The Fringe, who proved he still knows where the winning post is with a 16th career success in a Listowel hunter chase in June, while See Double You became the oldest winner in Ireland for 32 years when scoring at Roscommon in July at the ripe old age of 16.

7. Plenty to choose from for ride of the season honours

There was no shortage of ride of the season candidates, but Robbie Power's awesome display of bravery and horsemanship aboard Tudor City in the Galway Hurdle might just be the best of the bunch.

This was the Cheltenham Gold Cup and Grand National-winning rider at his finest in one of the most difficult environments in racing, despite only having had a handful of rides since returning from a fractured T7 vertebra suffered at Ballinrobe in May.

Tudor City: landed the Guinness Galway Hurdle thanks to a fantastic Robbie Power rideCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

Other worthy mentions go to Davy Russell for his never-say-die effort to dead-heat aboard Larquebuse at Fairyhouse in November, having hit 999-1 in-running, Jack Kennedy's last-gasp victory on Roaring Bull in the Paddy Power Chase at Leopardstown and Rachael Blackmore's canny front-running ride aboard Burrows Saint at Punchestown.

8. Old favourite dearly missed

In a season with plenty of high points, the loss of Wicklow Brave must go down as one of the most disappointing aspects.

Willie Mullins' jack of all trades and master of plenty had successfully taken to chasing, following in the footsteps of West Indies and Aurelius as Flat Classic winners embarking on careers over fences, but a tragic final-flight fall in the American Grand National Hurdle at Far Hills in October was a heartbreaking end.

Wicklow Brave: a hugely versatile horseCredit: Patrick McCann

9. No shortage of oddities throughout engaging season

The Irish National Hunt season threw up an array of unusual incidents, one of which came when a horse walked into a bar – literally – after winning on back-to-back days.

Charle Brune, who had been beaten an average of 42 lengths on each of his last five completed starts, bolted up by 23 lengths at Wexford in May at 10-1 (having opened at 50-1) before doubling his tally at Tipperary as 9-4 favourite the following day.

Tom Shanahan with Charle Brune in the Horse And Hound in pub in Dualla

The rare occurrence of a 100-1 winner to begin a card and a 66-1 scorer to finish it happened at Down Royal in January, while one of the most bizarre rounds of jumping in recent memory was witnessed at Ballinrobe in May.

The replay of Max Browne's exceptional effort to see Hell Or High Water complete the course is well worth a watch, with the horse even appearing to attempt jumping the same hurdle twice.

Not many horses turn out the evening after reportedly running out while leading but Summer Hill did just that in August and obliged in some style at the second attempt at Downpatrick, an extraordinary turnaround to reward strong market support.

Meanwhile, finishes do not come much more dramatic than the manner in which Dolly Dancer got off the mark over fences at Tramore, somehow managing to prevail after all but throwing the race away two out.

Captain Guinness: has all the potential to become a star novice chaserCredit: Caroline Norris

10. Names to note

The easiest name to put forward as a highly exciting novice hurdling prospect for next season is the hugely exciting Ballyadam, but Ajero could be one to prosper over obstacles in 2020-21, albeit at a likely lesser level.

The half-brother to high-class chaser Charbel screamed future winner when third on debut in a strong bumper at Thurles in February and can make his presence felt in due course.

The fact The Bosses Oscar was beaten less than four lengths in the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys Handicap Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival after any amount of misfortune in-running suggests he is a horse of immense potential for next season.

Finally, the prospect of seeing unfortunate Supreme Novices' Hurdle departee Captain Guinness over fences next season is something to else to look forward to in the autumn.

Read more:

Here are our top ten performances of the 2019-20 jumps campaign

Our Vic: the chaser who never gave up still giving plenty to the sport aged 22

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