Siskin entered horse racing’s hall of fame last weekend when the colt won the Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas at the Curragh.

The win was a first classic success for Ger Lyons, the Meath-based trainer of the Prince Khalid Abdullah of Saudi Arabia-owned Siskin.

A quick word too on jockey Colin Keane who impressed when manoeuvering Siskin out of a tight spot against the rails before quickening up to win. Keane (26) was champion jockey in 2017 and there can be no denying that he is as good a rider as there is on the circuit.

Return of jumping action

Following the return of flat racing last week, the action over jumps resumes at Limerick next Monday (22 June).

Roscommon will stage the second National Hunt fixture 48 hours later on Wednesday, and then it’s the turn of Tipperary on Friday week, 26 June. There are 19 jumps meetings programmed before the Galway summer meeting at the end of July.

Galway itself will of course be very different this year. No racegoers, no best dressed, but the Plate goes ahead on the Wednesday (29 July) as usual, and the Hurdle on Thursday.

Bargain horse

Racing is benefitting from extended coverage at the moment, with RTÉ 2 showing live Irish racing on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings at the moment. It’s worth tuning in, if only to see Ted Walsh voicing his opinions via Zoom.

Virgin Media One is also getting in on the act and has been relaying the ITV pictures from Royal Ascot this week. Racing there continues through to Saturday. The final day sees three Group 1 races go to post, including the Diamond Jubilee Stakes (3.35pm) which could play host to an Irish success story.

Leading the Irish charge will be Sceptical, trained in Cloughjordan, Co Tipperary, by Denis Hogan. The horse was bred by Sheikh Mohammed but never raced for him and was picked up by Hogan for around €3,000. Sceptical has won four races in a row for Hogan since last November and offers of £500,000 have been turned down.

He’s favourite for Saturday’s big race and it would surely be one of the best rags-to-riches sporting stories of the year were he to deliver a victory.