Looking back on a great year, but challenges lie ahead

An array of stories surround the many significant feats achieved by Irish racing personalities in 2018.

In reflecting on the year it is instructive to look beyond a mere catalogue of races won, however prestigious or significant, to explore a wider context, and to appreciate the enormity of the achievement.

Take for instance, Gordon Elliott's double with Tiger Roll in two ultra-demanding races a month apart, the Glenfarclas Chase at Cheltenham and the Grand National. That amounted to a little over eight miles covered and 59 obstacles negotiated, two jockeys – Keith Donoghue and Davy Russell – each with a compelling backstory of triumph over adversity, and owners Gigginstown House Stud who have changed the face of Irish jump racing with the scale of their investment.