Shane Crosse had his first ever track winner at Naas in April, so it was fitting that the champion apprentice scored his 28th and final winner of the campaign on the final day of the season back at the Kildare track on Sunday.

Crosse, apprentice to Joseph O’Brien, produced a good front-running ride on the John Feane-trained Naadheer, who made every post a winning one in a mile-and-a-half maiden. The 17-year-old finished five wins ahead of Killian Leonard who was in turn one win ahead of Ben Coen.

Donnacha O’Brien was confirmed as champion jockey, while the champion trainer went to Aidan O’Brien and champion owner to Sue Magnier.

It was also a brilliant weekend for Meath trainer Tony Martin and New York-based owner John Breslin as they scored a valuable handicap double. The pair teamed up to take the Billecart-Salmon Handicap Hurdle with 12/1 shot Golden Spear (ridden by Eoin O’Connell) at Down Royal on Saturday before going on to win the November Handicap with Mr Everest (ridden by John Egan) at Naas on Sunday.

Also at Down Royal, Noel Meade’s Road To Respect outlined his Gold Cup intentions with a superb display in the JNwine.com Champion Chase, where he was 16 lengths too good for Woodland Opera in second. Meade has been in superb form of late and also took the other graded race on the card through Kerry National winner Snow Falcon, who was just too strong for the returning Shattered Love and Monalee.

International

Aidan O’Brien was out of luck at both the Breeders’ Cup and in the Melbourne Cup. Out of O’Brien’s 14-strong team at Churchill Downs, Magical fared best when getting within a length of Enable in the Breeders’ Cup Turf. In Australia, Rostropovich finished fifth in the Melbourne Cup, which Godolphin won for the first time through the Charlie Appleby-trained Cross Counter.