Michael Kinane did his best to create a miracle, but the 2001 Flat season ended at Leopardstown, yesterday, with Pat Smullen retaining his jockeys' title.
Smullen rode his 81st winner of the term in the opener on Sun Season, putting him six clear of Kinane. However, the former champion subsequently rattled up a 130 to 1 treble that may have failed to threaten the leader but did put him joint second for the year with John Murtagh.
It was enough to provoke a smile of relief from 24-year-old Smullen who gets married to trainer Frances Crowley tomorrow before jetting to Dubai where he will ride for the winter.
Kinane's total in Ireland of over £2.6 million in prizemoney compared to Smullen's tally of over £1.8 million and the pattern of the year continued with the two stakes races on offer yesterday duly going to the Ballydoyle team.
Shoal Creek's home role as work companion to Bach means he may yet accompany that horse to Hong Kong for the International meeting on December 16th, but he easily picked up the Knockaire Stakes en route.
"If he gets in the mile race he could go to Hong Kong but that's good for him because he has been working hard all year with Bach without getting a run," said Aidan O'Brien.
On The Nile picked up the Eyrefield by a couple of lengths and confirmed her trainer's position at the top of the table with a total of 87 winners and almost £3.5 million in prize-money.
O'Brien also earned almost £3.4 million in Britain, where he also finished as the top trainer, and he said yesterday: "The success we've had is due to an exceptional group of horses that have stayed healthy."
O'Brien has his final European runners in France on Tuesday with three colts declared for the Criterium de Saint-Cloud.
Kinane rides Racing Post trophy runner-up Castle Gandolfo with the trio completed by Ballingarry (Jamie Spencer) and Galileo's brother Black Sam Bellamy for whom O'Brien is seeking a jockey as Johnny Murtagh is unavailable.
Tadhg O'Shea ended the season as champion apprentice but the final day belonged to his colleague Timmy Houlihan who had a sauntering success in the November Handicap on Calladine and added to it with Peace In Ireland in the last.
Calladine signalled a return to form for Christy Roche's string after a bout with sickness and the trainer said: "It was a shot in the dark but it's worked out well."
Florida Pearl was yesterday continuing to make good progress after tests for a suspected damaged joint.
The gelding was a beaten 4 to 5 favourite when finishing third in the James Nicholson Wine Merchant Champion Chase at Down Royal on Saturday.
The nine-year-old was later found to have sustained a cut on his off-fore that needed stitching. The race was won by Foxchapel King, who followed up his win in the Munster National at Limerick last month by turning over Florida Pearl, who had scored in the race in 1999.
"The x-rays and scans show there doesn't appear to be any damage and a bad bang is all he has to show for it. He will be stiff for a few days." said his trainer Willie Mullins.
Mullins revealed that he feared he would not now have enough time to prepare Florida Pearl to run in the John Durkan Chase at Punchestown next month.
He would now wait until Christmas and aim him at either the Ericcson Chase at Leopardstown or the King George VI Chase at Kempton.
