Stars shine both on the flat and over jumps

Published on Wednesday 30 December 2009 22:27

BRITISH racing enjoyed a vintage year as the public become star-struck with two titans of the track – Gold Cup hero Kauto Star and the unstoppably brilliant colt Sea The Stars.

John Oxx's double Classic winner was unquestionably the stand-out performer of the year, and possibly the decade. The Derby and 2,000 Guineas hero brought his career to a mesmeric end by scorching to victory in the Arc – his sixth Group 1 win on the spin.

Unfortunately, Sea The Stars' days on the racecourse are over, as a career in stud beckons. His jockey, Mick Kinane, who partnered him to all six of his Group 1s, has also decided to call time on a glorious career at the age of 50.

While Kinane heads off to pursue new challenges, the return of Kieren Fallon to British racecourses after a near three-year absence was welcome.

In a year that racing mourned the death of legendary trainer Vincent O'Brien at the age of 92, his namesake and successor at Ballydoyle Aidan O'Brien enjoyed another brilliant run of pattern race success in Britain and Ireland. And then there was the continuing story of Kauto Star. Officially one of the greatest chasers in modern history, Paul Nicholls' admirable champion became the first horse ever to regain the Gold Cup in March before he rounded off the year with a jaw-dropping fourth consecutive King George at Kempton on Boxing Day.

Stablemate Denman overcame last season's heart trouble with one of the greatest weight-carrying displays in the annals of racing. The ruthless nine-year-old made 11st 12lb look like a saddle-full of goose feathers in the Hennessy. Ruby Walsh was the man on board Kauto and Denman in their big-race wins, but it was Tony McCoy who again took the honours as champion jump jockey, and in February he become the first man to ride 3,000 winners over jumps in Britain and Ireland.

A Grand National win still eludes AP, however, and it was Mon Mome, ridden by Liam Treadwell, who claimed the Aintree showpiece in April. He was the first 100-1 shot since Foinavon in 1967 to win the great race. Hello Bud (12-1), trained by Nigel Twiston-Davies, won the Scottish version at Ayr, while locally-owned 20-1 shot Dream Alliance this week took the Welsh National.

Continuing the Welsh theme, the year also saw Britain open its first turf racetrack in more than 80 years when dual-purpose Ffos Las threw open its doors in June.