Talking Horses: Celebrating the successes of the 2014 Flat season

It has been another successful and dramatic summer in the North-East and North Yorkshire, with the region’s horses and trainers enjoying some notable victories along the way.

This week’s Talking Horses column looks back at the 2014 turf campaign, and highlights the most notable equine and human achievements.

HORSE OF THE YEAR
The Grey Gatsby

Kevin Ryan’s three-year-old didn’t look like creating too many waves when he finished tenth in May’s 2,000 Guineas at odds of 66-1.

A fortnight later, however, and he was trouncing a top-class field at York to win the Dante, and two more weeks after that, he headed across the Channel to become a Classic winner as, with Ryan Moore on board, he won the French Derby at Chantilly.

August’s second-placed finish behind Australia in the Juddmonte International was a fine performance, but The Grey Gatsby duly went one better earlier this month when he turned the tables on Aidan O’Brien’s stable star to land the Irish Champions Stakes at Leopardstown.

YOUNG HORSE OF THE YEAR
The Wow Signal

Owned by Qatar Racing, and trained by John Quinn at Malton, The Wow Signal looked a pretty special two-year-old when he stormed to a nine-length win at Ayr on his debut.

The positive impression was reinforced in June, when Frankie Dettori piloted him to victory in the Group Two Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot, and last month’s success in the Prix Morny at Deauville handed Quinn his first Group One win.

The Wow Signal will put his unbeaten record on the line on Sunday when he lines up in the Prix Jean Luc Lagardere at Longchamp, and is already as short as 14-1 for next year’s 2,000 Guineas.

MOST EXCITING HORSE FOR 2015
Mecca's Angel

Michael Dods’ three-year-old filly has established herself as one of the most exciting sprinters in the country this summer – 2015 will be the year when she attempts to plunder some of the leading five-furlong prizes in Europe.

May’s demolition of a top-class field at Hamilton set tongues wagging, with September’s Listed victory in the Scarborough Stakes at Doncaster establishing Mecca’s Angel as a sprinter destined for great things.

Last month’s short-odds triumph in the Group Three Dubai International Trophy at Newbury was another step forward, and ensures Mecca’s Angel should have the likes of the King’s Stand, Nunthorope and Prix de l’Abbaye on her radar next season.

TRAINER OF THE YEAR
Michael Dods

There’s strong competition in this category, with Mark Johnston, Kevin Ryan and David O’Meara all having rattled up the winners while landing some top-class prizes along the way. All three of those trainers boast big yards and hugely wealthy owners though, so it’s time to hail a trainer who has consistently punched above his weight.

Despite having had to retire a number of his more established veterans, Dods, who is based at Denton, near Piercebridge, has enjoyed a remarkable season, racking up 36 wins to date, 13 of which have come from his two-year-olds.

Mecca’s Angel has emerged as the stable star, although Spinatrix’s win at Ripon last weekend will also have meant a great deal. My Name Is Rio and Trinity Star boast three wins apiece this season, while Alans Pride looks a two-year-old with considerable potential.

JOCKEY OF THE YEAR
Joe Fanning

As one of the stable jockeys for the all-conquering Mark Johnston yard, Fanning is always going to find himself on some nice horses. You still have to know how to get them to the finishing post though, and at a time when he should perhaps be winding down, the 44-year-old has proved better than ever.

Pigeon Pie’s victory at Musselburgh on Monday took him to 91 turf victories and 59 successes on the all-weather this season, with his preferred front-running style earning him admirers among racing professionals and punters alike.

His two biggest wins of the summer came aboard Bow Creek, who landed a brace of Group Twos at Goodwood and Leopardstown. Hartnell and Amralah provided Fanning with further victories at Group level, and the veteran will no doubt remain among the winners for the final few months of the year.

RACECOURSE OF THE YEAR
York Racecourse

We are blessed with some tremendous courses in this part of the world, and Ripon, Thirsk, Redcar and Catterick have all served up consistently excellent fare. Initiatives such as the hugely-popular family days have helped North Yorkshire’s courses attract new racegoers and spread racing’s appeal beyond its usual boundaries.

When it comes to being the best of the best though, it’s impossible to look beyond the Knavesmire at York, a truly world-class venue that never loses its appeal.

On its showcase meetings in May and August, York is an incredibly special place, bursting with colour and vitality, but it is every bit as alluring and rewarding at some of its lower-profile meetings throughout the summer. Blessed with excellent facilities and superb spectator vantage points, you’ll struggle to find a better summer sporting arena.

CONTROVERSY OF THE YEAR
An all-weather racecourse

The row over the construction of an all-weather racecourse in the North-East has rumbled on all year, and the season will end with more questions than answers.

Having seemingly beaten off competition from Catterick to become the preferred venue for an all-weather circuit, Newcastle Racecourse suffered a blow when the British Horseracing Authority refused to grant a rule exemption that would allowed them to race under floodlights in 2015.

As things stand, Newcastle’s £10m plans to rip up their turf track and replace it with an all-weather surface do not meet the BHA’s requirements. Does the North-East need all-weather racing? Most trainers seem to think so, but the majority of punters I’ve spoken to on my travels don’t seem so sure.