Some of you come here for bile and begrudgery so straight off the bat let's simply say all that 'Irish Champions Weekend' action was brilliant. A superb Champions Stakes finish between Roaring Lion and Saxon Warrior was elite racing at its most exciting. Alpha Centauri's defeat and subsequent retirement reflected the emotional sweep of this game. There were a range of winners to make any monopolies accusation seem redundant. Even the weather played ball. This was racing at its best.

There are few more lively topics in Irish racing right now than racing’s TV rights in Ireland.