1.55: LIGHTNING AMBER – EW – (MIKEY SHEEHY (7)/DERMOT WELD)

2.30: MASS GATHERING – EW – (RORY CLEARY/TOM CLEARY)

3.05: SOLENE LILYETTE (OISIN ORR/DERMOT WELD)

3.40: EXCUZIO JOE – EW – (SAM EWING (7)/MATT SMITH)

4.15: FUTURE PROOF – EW – (COLIN KEANE/NOEL MEADE)

4.45: LIARS CORNER (SHANE FOLEY/JOHN MCCONNELL)

1.30: KAPARD (RACHAEL BLACKMORE/HENRY DE BROMHEAD)

2.05: BREEZY BELLE (CHRIS TIMMONS/EDDIE CAWLEY)

2.40: AL BARRONE (RACHAEL BLACKMORE/HENRY DE BROMHEAD)

3.15: MINELLA INDO (RACHAEL BLACKMORE/HENRY DE BROMHEAD)

3.50: ANDY DUFRESNE (MARK WALSH/GORDON ELLIOTT)

4.25: CHURCHSTONEWARRIOR – EW – (RAY BARRON (7)/JONATHAN SWEENEY)

Monaghan 2-14

When doing the piece yesterday with the Meath team for today’s game against Monaghan, the point was made that the game represented an opportunity for lads to put their hands up for selection for the forthcoming Championship opener against Wexford or Wicklow. Well. Nobber’s Jordan Morris did that and more as Andy McEntee’s team battled back to earn the point their efforts deserved. Not only on the day, but throughout this elongated National League campaign.

Granted, their stay at the top table was unfortunately a brief one but gut feeling is they will have undoubtedly learned from the experience. Which will stand to them in the short and long term. Today, hardly surprisingly, the Farney County’s marquee forward Conor McManus was a constant threat but it was a goal from half forward Micheal Bannigan which appeared to leave the home team comfortable approaching half time.

However, classy late first half points from Ronan Jones and Jason Scully left only the Monaghan ‘major’ between the sides at the break. On the resumption, Meath actually assumed a degree of control with Cathal Hickey and Donal Keogan tenacious in defence, Ronan Jones outstanding at centre field and substitute Morris imperious in attack, Bryan Menton’s goal appeared to have set them on their way to a deserved if unlikely success.

However, if there was one blot on the green and gold copybook, it was again in the form of a malfunctioning kick-out which presented McManus with the type of opportunity you’d expect him to convert in his sleep. That left ‘Banty’ McEneaney’s charges in what might have seemed an unassailable position.

Mind you, whatever they might lack in some departments, this Meath team has all the fortitude, skill and mental strength for which the county’s sides have been famed for over the years and even though a late point from Kieran Duffy appeared to seal the deal for the white and blue, the gut felt there was hope.

And so it was. Driven on by Keogan, Jones, Menton, and substitute Morris and Joey Wallace they dug and chipped away before the Nobber newcomer got the final say he and his colleagues deserved, not only on the day but throughout the campaign.

We roll on to the winter Championship with confidence.

1.35: FLIRTING LESA – EW – (CONOR MCNAMARA (5)/PADDY HAYES)

2.10: SMALL BAD BOB – EW – (SEAN O’KEEFFE (3)/PAUL NOLAN)

2.45: BLUE MARKLE – EW – (SIMON TORRENS (5)/DAVID CHRISTIE)

3.20: ATLANTIC SHORE (BRIAN HAYES/PHILIP FENTON)

3.55: SCOIR MEAR – EW – (SIMON TORRENS (5)/TOM MULLINS)

4.30: NUDIE (JODIE TOWNEND (7)/WILLIE MULLINS)

1.15: COKO BEACH – EW – (KEITH DONOGHUE/GORDON ELLIOTT)

1.50: CHAVI ARTIST (DAVID MULLINS/TOM MULLINS)

2.25: MIRACLE IN MEDINAH – EW – (MARK WALSH/GORDON ELLIOTT)

3.00: BEACON EDGE (SEAN FLANAGAN/NOEL MEADE)

3.35: LIEUTENANT COMMAND (SEAN FLANAGAN/NOEL MEADE)

4.10: UISCE SOLAS (LIAM QUINLAN (7)/DECLAN QUEALLY)

4.45: CHAMPAGNESOCIALIST – EW – (PAT TAAFFE (7)/TOM TAAFFE)

Inference being that, with a few notable exceptions, a lot of the biggest races, in either sphere of the sport, take place on the second last day of the week. The thing is, whatever about competing with the Mullins’, Elliotts, Meades, Nicholls’ and Hendersons of the jumps world, attempting to usurp the likes of Coolmore and the Arab operations would appear futile at best to most.

Yet there is one man who continually takes them on – and quite often overhauls them. What Jim Bolger has achieved – even during my lifetime – never mind the decades prior to yours truly being airlifted into the world – is truly remarkable. You must remember, he started his career training career at Lohunda – ironically adjacent to Oliver Cunningham’s Funeral Directors business – at least four decades ago.

Yes, Kevin Prendergast has shown equally commendable longevity. However, there is one major difference. Where Kevin has, deservedly, had the backing of some of the Arab operations, Jim has, to a large extent, swept all before him with his own stock. Literally. Through the auspices of the Redmondstown Stud operation he runs with his brother Paddy.

From whence such luminaries of the equine world as Teofilo, New Approach, Dawn Approach, Mr Greeley and Intense Focus have emerged. And that, of course, is without mention of the Galacticos of the saddle and the greatest exponent of the training craft the sport has ever been blessed to observe.

Just consider such names as Paul Carberry and Mick Fitzgerald and a couple of other lads called Anthony McCoy and Aidan O’Brien, and that would still only represent a fraction of Wexford wizard’s contribution to racing and bloodstock.

On the evidence of today’s events at home and abroad, thankfully there appears to be no sign of it abating anytime soon. Even though he’s not that far off his eighth decade.

While it must be stated that in more recent years he has benefitted from having some Goldolphin stock in his care – this corner reckons he was actually the first Irish handler bestowed with same – the vast majority of his winners are homebreds. Including his pair of victors this afternoon.

Namely, Flying Visit (10/3) who got the better of short priced favourite Carlisle Bay and the highly touted Wuqood from the Dermot Weld yard before, even more significantly, Mac Swiney became the latest resident of Glebe House to claim what to us hacks of certain vintage will always be the Racing Post Trophy, coming home with a late charge to give Bolger another gong at the highest level having also had a number of winners in the Dewhurst Stakes – another recognised apprenticeship for the Classics.

It’s said that when training at Lohunda, he used to gallop his then yearlings after his Christmas dinner in preparation for the forthcoming season. So, if you’re near Coolcullen walking off the big feed keep an eye out. You might just see a superstar in the making.

Defenders Seamus Lavin and Conor McGill and live wire attacker Bryan McMahon return having all missed last week’s valiant display against Dublin this day last week.

Meanwhile, Seneschalstown’s Cathal Hickey moves to wing back after acquitting himself in eye catching fashion in the Parnell Park clash, Ronan Jones and Bryan Menton continue to form an efficient midfield alliance while the forwards retain a potency which should imbue them with confidence as this strangest of championships approaches.

Meath (SF v. Monaghan): Marcus Brennan; Seamus Lavin, Conor McGill, David Toner; Cathal Hickey, Shane McEntee, Donal Keogan; Bryan Menton, Ronan Jones; Jason Scully, Bryan McMahon, Ronan Ryan; Cillian O’Sullivan, Shane Walsh, Tomas O’Reilly.

1.55: SWORD ZORRO (SHANE FOLEY/JESSICA HARRINGTON)

2.29: STAR MAKER – EW – (GAVIN RYAN (3)/TOM MULLINS)

3.04: SILVER SERVICE – EW – (DYLAN B. MCMONAGLE (5)/MICK MULVANY)

3.39: CARLISLE BAY (SEAMIE HEFFERNAN/AIDAN O’BRIEN)

4.14: NUMERIAN – EW – (DECLAN MCDONOGH/JOSEPH O’BRIEN)

4.49: MAGIC CHEGEGA – EW – (SAM EWING (7)/DERMOT WELD)

2.12: CALTHOR (MARK WALSH/GAVIN CROMWELL)

2.47: TIGER VOICE (RACHAEL BLACKMORE/HENRY DE BROMHEAD)

3.22: MIGHTY TOM – EW – (BRYAN COOPER/TOM COOPER)

3.57: GRAN GESTE – EW – (SIMON TORRENS (5)/LIZ DOYLE)

4.32: SIZING MALBAY – EW – (PETER CARBERRY/STEVE MAHON)

5.07: PART TIME FARMER (FINNY MAGUIRE/NOEL MEADE)