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Box-office John Durkan has justified its new slot - now it’s time to apply the same smart thinking to the Morgiana
Richard Forristal on the implications of a weekend of top-class racing
Richard ForristalIreland editor
Gaelic Warrior (far side ) gets the better of a thrilling John Durkan duel with Fact To FileCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)
Sunday's epic John Durkan Memorial Chase has for the most part been lauded as a duel for the ages, and it is worth acknowledging the transformative upshot of the Punchestown race being brought forward a fortnight in the calendar since 2023.
Horse Racing Ireland takes enough stick for its missteps (see below), so it's only fair to acknowledge the good stuff.
As we saw again on Sunday, in general terms the change compels trainers to run horses in the Grade 1 ahead of the Christmas period.
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Published on inRichard Forristal
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Copymore inRichard Forristal
- Wrong horse chaos exposes dismal regulatory failures yet again - and it's punters paying the price
- Ireland's rich/poor divide over jumps is widening fast - that's why we need the likes of Conor O'Dwyer to keep thriving
- Nothing is impossible when it comes to Willie Mullins - but his latest masterstroke can be traced back to his dad
- What Gordon Elliott achieved on Saturday was mind-boggling - and he deserves so much more recognition
- Why Tattersalls catalogue should be sounding major alarm bells for the National Hunt sector
more inRichard Forristal
- Wrong horse chaos exposes dismal regulatory failures yet again - and it's punters paying the price
- Ireland's rich/poor divide over jumps is widening fast - that's why we need the likes of Conor O'Dwyer to keep thriving
- Nothing is impossible when it comes to Willie Mullins - but his latest masterstroke can be traced back to his dad
- What Gordon Elliott achieved on Saturday was mind-boggling - and he deserves so much more recognition
- Why Tattersalls catalogue should be sounding major alarm bells for the National Hunt sector