Racing was able to keep the world going round even if behind closed doors.
The Saudi Cup this year went to the talented Mishriff who seems to like this part of the world. Actually he might just like flying as he has a great record abroad but he did come good later in the year at home at York.
Mishriff also won the Dubai Sheema in March by a neck from wonderful Japanese mare Chrono Genesis.
Cheltenham saw the wonderfully named Putthekettleon win the Queen Mother Champion Chase, and the Gold Cup go to Minella Indo. Aintree saw a female rider win the Grand National for the first time as Rachael Blackmore guided Minella Times safely through the trip for Henry de Bromhead.
The Japanese Triple Crown female saw the rise and rise of the pure white horse Sodashi. She had been champion 2yo in 2020 and then went on to win the first leg of the triple crown the Oka Sho and Hanshin setting a new track record in the process. Her grand-dam Shirayukihime was also pure white. And the Satsuki Sho saw another future star in Efforia, a son of Epiphaneia.
Also in Japan Contrail – another Deep Impact – and champion male 2yo in 2020 and a Triple Crown winner went on to win the Japan Cup impressively, and then be retired to stud.
The Kentucky Derby threw up another unfortunate result when the first over the line Medina Spirit, trained by Bob Baffert, produced a positive result. The horse's story is the stuff of true tragedies as he had overcome a very difficult start in life to achieve a great result only to have a shadow over that and then later in the year he was to die of an apparent heart attack on the training track.
Meantime German racing keeps on getting better with a German horse going on to win the Arc. It has also attracted a number of raiders notable amongst whom is Sir Mark Prescott's Alpinista who won 4 times in four German starts.
The Hong Kong Internationals in December will unfortunately be remembered for a serious fall in the Sprint in which four horses fell, two suffering fatal injuries. Three of the jockeys were hospitalised but fortunately their injuries were non life-threatening.
One of the best things about 2021 has been Racheal Blackmore who as we mentioned above was the first female jockey to win the Grand National and that was after she had been champion jockey at Cheltenham. She got 4 major awards, HRI Racing Hero, Irish Times Sportswoman of the Year, RTE Sportsperson of the year, and BBC Sports Personality of the Year.
So let's see what 2022 can bring us!
Ps We have sent a memo to Santa to keep a better hand on his reindeers. They not only frightened the life out of most of us when they landed on the roof of the stables but they then went and ate all the carrots that were to be Christmas presents for the horses!
