Like this time last year, Dessie Hughes has gotten off to a fine start to the National Hunt season. A total of 20 winners to date means that one of Ireland’s top trainers is on course to beat last year’s tally of 36 winners.
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His father is the legendary Martin Pipe, a 15 times champion trainer who has won pretty much everything there is to be won in National Hunt racing. Just two seasons after taking over the reigns at the famous Pond House yard, the signs are there that David Pipe is going to be just as successful.
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If you look up the statistics in the Racing Post, they’ll tell you that Jessica Harrington leads the way in the Irish trainers’ championship after another good start to the jumping season. “We’ve had another good start and again the horses are running well at this time of the year. I currently lead the trainers’ championship and I led it for just the one day last season so that’s nice. But realistically, it will be a matter of time before Noel (Meade) and Willie (Mullins) overtake me and that’s just the way it is”, says Jessica as she gets her list of horses ready for this annual examination.
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THE National Hunt season may not have got out of first gear as yet but it’s already been a busy time for Tom Taaffe. “I’ve had three big days so far!” he explains as we sit down for morning coffee in his kitchen on a brisk Autumn morning, indeed the day before Kicking King goes into battle with War Of Attrition at Punchestown.
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