Ruby Walsh: Zavateri proves that among the deep-pocketed Goliaths, there's always a David

What happens on these shores this afternoon will fall into the back pages of the trade papers, as all eyes will be turned to Newmarket for the Dewhurst and Cesarewitch card

Zavateri (right) and Gstaad battle it out at the Curragh. File picture: Healy Racing

It is hard to believe that by the time racing finishes at Punchestown on Tuesday, October will have staged as many race meetings in Ireland in its first 14 days as there will be in the whole month of December.

I don’t know why October has more racing than any other month, but it does, and racing professionals are clocking up the miles. It is a little daft that geographically some of the double meetings don't have a better spread. It was bizarre on Thursday to watch Thurles and Tramore racing on the same day.