Countdown on to Finale of 2019 Flat Season

Andrew Slattery closes in on Champion Apprentice Jockey Title
Donnacha O'Brien is the clear favourite to retain Champion Jockey Title
Mrs John Magnier holds a narrow advantage in the Champion Owner Title race
Aidan O'Brien to retain Champion Trainer Title

The conclusion of the 2019 Flat season at Naas Racecourse on Sunday, November 3 is fast approaching and the day will be marked by presentations to the champion owner, trainer, jockey and apprentice.

The race for the apprentice championship is still up for grabs but County Tipperary’s Andrew Slattery is certainly in pole position with 42 winners. He leads the 2017 champion Oisin Orr by two, the pair clear in the table from last season’s champion Shane Crosse on 28 winners. Ben Coen, a cousin of Slattery’s and joint-second in the championship last year, is next on the list with 27 winners.
 

Champion Apprentice Jockey Title Race:
 

Donnacha O'Brien is on target to be crowned Champion Jockey for the second successive year after another incredible season that saw him add to his Classic haul in the QIPCO 2,000 Guineas on the Aidan O'Brien-trained Magna Grecia. At home, Donnacha won the Group 2 Beresford Stakes on his father’s Innisfree and the Group 2 Kilboy Estates Stakes on Red Tea, trained by his brother, Joseph.

 
Broome, Mohawk, Latrobe, Buckhurst, Waitingfortheday and Blenheim Palace were domestic Group 3 winners for Donnacha who has amassed 104 winners in Ireland this season and enjoys a five-winner lead over Colin Keane, the 2017 champion, whose season’s highlight was the Group 1 success of the Ger Lyons-trained Siskin in the Keeneland Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh in August. If Keane can reach the 100-winner mark, it will be the first time that two Flat jockeys have reached a century of winners in the same season.

Mrs John Magnier, seeking to become champion owner for the 18th time since 2000, holds a slender advantage over fellow Coolmore partners Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith.

Aidan O'Brien is set to be the champion trainer once again, an award he wins for the 22nd time. The Ballydoyle maestro, who turned 50 this month, won the Tattersalls Irish 1,000 Guineas with Hermosa and the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby with Sovereign and enjoyed further Group 1 success with Magical which won the Tattersalls Gold Cup and the QIPCO Irish Champion Stakes and Fairyland and Love, winners of the Derrinstown Stud Flying Five Stakes and the Moyglare Stud Stakes respectively.
 
All racehorse owners that have had runners on the Flat this season will be entitled to complimentary admission to Naas on Sunday. To avail of these free tickets, RSVP to [email protected] with owner name, address and the number of tickets required.

There are seven meetings remaining in the 2019 Irish Flat season:
•             Navan (Today) October 23
•             Dundalk on Friday October 25
•             Leopardstown on Saturday October 26
•             Galway on Monday October 28 
•             Dundalk on Wednesday October 30
•             Dundalk on Friday November 1
•             Naas on Sunday November 3