Douglas Macarthur disappointed as Landfall won the Willis Towers Watson Champions Juvenile Stakes at Leopardstown.

David Wachman’s announcement this week that he is to retire from training at the end of the season, after some 20 years, encouraged one to reflect on various aspects of this great game.

Good morning. Here’s everything you need to know before you start your day.

Classic-winning trainer David Wachman is to retire at the end of the season.

That was a rather interesting little spat between trainer, Richard Hannon, and Horse Racing Ireland chief Executive, Brian Kavanagh, regarding the recent Group 1 Keeneland Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh.

Two tricky cards this evening, but there was enough promise in the debut effort of Dancing Waves to suggest she can land the nap in the seven-furlong auction maiden at Down Royal.

A twenty-runner maiden opens tonight’s card at Naas, and Sheila Lavery’s Mr Scarlet gets the nap to set punters off on the right foot.

On a night when British challenger Decorated Knight, ridden for Roger Charlton by George Baker, landed the Group 3 ICON Meld Stakes at Leopardstown, the O’Briens again stole the show as the progressive three-year-old Arya Tara justified favouritism in the listed Stanerra Stakes.

Owner Michael O’Leary admits he fears the career of Cheltenham Gold Cup hero Don Cossack is over after the horse sustained a tendon injury.

Bravery can get off the mark at the third time of asking by taking the fifth race on tonight’s seven-race card at Dundalk.

Group 1-placed as a two-year-old, Washington DC made an impressive return to action when landing the listed Paddy Power-sponsored Patton Stakes in emphatic style in Dundalk last night.

Triple Crown hero American Pharoah has been named the 2015 Longines World’s Best Racehorse at a ceremony in London.

Well-backed all day and sent off 11/10 favourite, Love Potion made a successful debut for J P McManus and David Wachman in the Irish Stallion Farms 2-Y-0 Fillies Maiden in wet and windy Dundalk last night.

Dundalk plays host to today’s horse racing action and Multiviz gets the nap selection to land the opener for trainer Sheila Lavery and jockey Pat Smullen.

Aidan O’Brien was the dominant figure on day two of the second renewal of Champions’ Weekend, the Ballydoyle maestro taking all three Group 1 contests on yesterday’s card at the Curragh.

Robbie Downey, chasing 2013 champion Connor King in the race for the apprentice title, rode out his 5lb. claim when partnering Go Kart to a convincing win in the Irish Stallion Farms 2-Y-0 Maiden at Down Royal yesterday.

Today’s QIPCO Champion Stakes at Leopardstown has the potential to be as good a flat race as we’ve seen in this country for many a year and, in what should be a tight affair, Golden Horn is narrowly preferred to Free Eagle and Gleneagles.

Golden Horn and Gleneagles head a star field of eight horses declared for the Qipco Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown tomorrow, a race that will have an earlier start time due to weather concerns.

Fran Berry starred with a big-race double on Hint Of A Tint and Bocca Baciata at the Curragh yesterday.

Coolmore made an encouraging start to her career, despite having to settle for third in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden at the Curragh.

The progressive Algonquin completed a four-timer with a typically gamebattling display in the listed Vincent O’Brien Ruby Stakes last night at Killarney last night.

Tramore hosts a matinee meeting today, and Marie Celeste should reward punters by taking the second race, a 12-furlong fillies’ maiden, for trainer David Wachman.

Buratino is set to take on the might of Ballydoyle after being confirmed for the Keeneland Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh on Sunday.

Connections of Diamondsandrubies are expecting a stern examination of their filly as she lines up in the Qatar Nassau Stakes at Goodwood today.

Fresh from his Galway Hurdle exploits, trainer Tony Martin dominated day five at the Galway Festival, recording a near 144-1 treble with Vive La France, Tudor City and Dark Crusader.

Final Figaro, who contests the bumper, looks the best bet on today’s card at Galway.

Surprisingly, the only winning favourite on day five of the Galway Festival came in the ultra-competitive Arthur Guinness Handicap, but it was no shock to punters who backed the Tony Martin-trained Tudor City down from a high of 7-1, to a starting price of 5-2. There were a couple of anxious seconds before he prevailed in the cool hands of Fran Berry.

With Willie Mullins having farmed the first race on the three previous days of the Festival, it was no surprise to see his As De Ferbet sent off favourite for yesterday’s opener at Ballybrit.

Old reliables Willie Mullins and Dermot Weld provided punters with the only winning favourites on day three of the Galway Festival and the afternoon had begun just the way the two previous evenings had — Mullins getting off the mark with a winning hurdler.

Now Or Never had young trainer Michael O’Callaghan dreaming big after she ran out a most impressive winner of the Topaz Fillies’ Maiden, last night at Galway.

With the Galway Festival getting underway on Monday, there is just one meeting in Ireland this weekend and, unsurprisingly, it’s modest fare which should urge similar scale investment from punters.

Hero of Saturday’s Darley Irish Oaks at the Curragh, highlight of a weekend which yielded four wins, seven-times champion Pat Smullen partnered Lean And Keen to victory in the featured www.thetote.com Handicap in heavy ground in Ballinrobe last night.

It’s Oaks day at the Curragh, and Curvy looks capable of justifying favouritism in the feature, but it’s Final Frontier who gets the nap to make a successful step up to Group 3 level in the Jebel Ali Racecourse & Stables Anglesey Stakes.

David Wachman believes Curvy will have to step up again if she is to supplement her Royal Ascot success in the Darley Irish Oaks at the Curragh today.

The progressive, Aidan O’Brien-trained Fields Of Athenry proved a hugely impressive winner of the listed Challenge Stakes as continuous rain turned the ground yielding to soft in Leopardstown last night.

The David Wachman-trained Off Limits returned to her best with an impressive victory in the listed Irish Stallion Farms EBF Cairn Rouge Stakes on day one of Killarney’s July festival.

Diakali should register his first win since November 2013 in the Grade 3 Kevin McManus Bookmaker Grimes Hurdle at Tipperary today.