Our podcast team were asked to select their moment of 2024 in this week’s episode and three of the panel all selected the same one.
That moment was the victory of Crystal Black at Royal Ascot, trained by Ger Keane, ridden by his son Colin and owned by the Wear A Pink Ribbon syndicate comprising of Neville Eager, Conor Duffy, Harvey Stephenson and Tom Fallon. It was a victory that sparked wonderful celebrations afterwards.
Graham Cunningham: “This has been a really hard year for many people in racing and I think my moment of the year was seeing Cheltenham scenes at Royal Ascot. Crystal Black in the Duke Of Edinburgh Handicap.
“Colin Keane riding for his old man Gerard, who is in his high-70s, you can’t get much better than that – unless the horse is a bargain buy, owned by a group of friends. The Wear A Pink Ribbon Syndicate were commemorating a friend they lost, Breda Miley, and you talk about the joy racing can give, it was there.
“That’s unusual at Royal Ascot given the powerhouse stables in attendance there, so to see that combination of events was wonderful. Colin Keane said he’d never taken so much joy from riding a winner, to do that for his dad at the meeting then the scenes with all the singing and celebrating connections afterwards, I thought that was a brilliant moment in among many at what was a fantastic Royal Ascot.
“And Crystal Black was one of the big misses in the second-half of the season because he thrashed The Euphrates in a Group Three at Leopardstown next time and looked all set for a big Melbourne Cup bid but hopefully that can wait for next year."
Ed Chamberlin: “It was the most amazing day to present. Actually, this weekend is Alastair Warwick’s final one as chief executive at Ascot and he’s done a brilliant job, getting Ascot out of Covid with that test day and all the brilliant things he’s done since.
“He’s made Ascot for everyone, and that day summed it up. It had something for everyone with every budget, the Keane story was wonderful, Fairy Godmother for racing fans was spectacular and Luke Harvey dancing in the Windsor Enclosure was utterly bizarre.
“It was a magic, magic, day of sport."
Billy Nash: “I feel like a contestant on Countdown and I’m going to pass over my answer as well. It’s exactly the same as GC and Ed’s.
“We really should have pre-production meetings! Crystal Black at Royal Ascot, it would be very hard to top that. For an equine performance it would be I Am Maximus in the Randox Grand National, I thought he was sensational on the day.
“I don’ t remember a Grand National being won as easily as that before but the moment of the year for me was definitely Crystal Black at Royal Ascot."
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