In the week when Paul Carberry was crowned Champion Jockey for the first time, an incident at Kilbeggan took some of the shine off an otherwise sparkling season for the rider.
Carberry was caught napping at Kilbeggan on Monday when he eased his mount Heart Midoltian (4/6 favourite) near the finish and was headed on the line.
Almost ?120,000 was bet on the race, the majority on Carberry's mount, and a large crowd was quick to gather opposite the runner-up spot in the unsaddling enclosure anticipating the obligatory heckling.
To everyone's surprise the abuse never materialised and Carberry, shielded by a number of his weigh-room colleagues, made it safely back to the clutches of the waiting stewards.
The stewards decided that a seven day suspension for Carberry was the proper punishment for such an offence.
In defence of their decision they stated that they had taken his good record into account. Had they forgotten about Sallies Girl at Naas? Another occasion when a Carberry booboo cost punters dear.
Moving on to the more positive side of his riding, it was fantastic to see him finally leave his mark on the record books by landing his first championship. He has a special talent and but for injury would have won several before now.
Himself, Ruby Walsh and Barry Geraghty have dominated the domestic scene in recent years and set a very high standard for others to follow. All three jockeys had similar numbers of seconds and thirds during the season, but when it came to winners Carberry was out on his own. He finished the season with almost thirty winners more than either of his rivals.
The week's racing was again curtailed by inclement weather and quality was thin on the ground. One notable exception was the Listed Saval Beg Stakes at Leopardstown on Thursday where dual Group1 winner Vinnie Roe made his seasonal debut.
Minus his customary blinkers and conceding weight to his six rivals he walked (more of a jog really) in the betting, drifting all the way out to a staggering 9/4 before settling at 2/1. Not even favourite, that distinction went to the hat trick seeking Holy Orders, which went off at 6/4.
Turning for home in the 1m6f contest the bookmakers appeared to have got their prices spot-on. Holy Orders looked to be cantering in third place while Pat Smullen was already pushing away on Vinnie Roe in fifth place, a couple of lengths further back.
Holy Orders was soon in front. Not long after Vinnie Roe was breathing down his neck. By the furlong pole Vinnie Roe was in full flight and stormed into the lead, powering away for a four-length success.
Dermot Weld summed it up after the race: 'I was a little concerned about his level of fitness and about the weight (10st 1lb) he had to carry, but I have to say that was an impressive performance.' This was Vinnie Roe's fifth win on the bounce and he will now tackle the Ascot Gold Cup before defending his crown in the Irish St. Leger. The long-term objective remainsthe Melbourne Cup. 'We gave serious consideration to running him in Melbourne last season, but he just wasn't mature enough to take on the task' added Weld.
The proposed Saturday evening meeting for Leopardstown next month continues to cause a storm. The trainers are the latest group to voice their concern. They have instructed their members not to make entries for the fixture.
