Benson steers outsider to win Punchestown's Ladies Cup

Georgie gave him a brilliant ride and did everything that we wanted. She does a lot of work with him - we don't really train him at all, we only mess around with him. He had been running well in a few of the point-to-point banks races and we brought him here in February because we wanted to get a school around It was hot race that day but we really fancied him today. The better ground helped and he really loves the banks. If it was a normal race we'd be in trouble but the banks make all the difference.

Energumene's previous connections register first Irish winner

the man who does my form work highlighted this series to me and as soon as I read the race conditions, I thought it was ideal for a few of those in the barn. We hit the qualifiers quite strong, won two and were second in another. Where can you go for an €80,000 pot for horses with those ratings - there aren't any races for them with that prize fund. It would have been crazy not to target it. I was watching Montregard (under stable jockey Sam Sheppard) throughout the race but I kept casting my eye back to Tune In A Box and I saw him travelling everywhere. I thought Montregard would be the horse to beat and would close him down but didn't, and the winner is a horse which keeps surprising us.

Annie Power's son bags another Grade 1

Mystical Power showed resilience and toughness and he's been improving all season. I didn't think we had much chance at the second last and Mark said he was going as fast as he could coming around the last bend. The race turned into a staying race with the other two protagonists (Firefox and Slade Steel) playing their cards going to the last. They were flat out and then he just outstayed them with a good jump at the last. It's fantastic that he's progressed as the season has gone on and I think Annie Power is coming out in him. She showed plenty of ability but he didn't show any ability early. When he was a three-year-old he didn't show me much ability and at the end of his four-year-old year he started to show a little bit.

Townend sets ball rolling in final-week championship chase

he showed a huge turn of foot. He was in front way too soon, and I'm sure Paul would have kicked himself but he said to me the horse just carried him and he didn't want to disappoint him. He's a horse that could go back on the Flat and is maybe one for Royal Ascot. He's still a maiden on the Flat, he's only had one run when finishing second in France. I'd say he's very ground dependent, in winter time in heavy ground he wasn't able to handle it but on this ground it seems to be a different ball game. He surprised me, especially after being in Ludlow last week. To come back from England and do that in a big handicap is good.

'I had to run something' — future jumper wins Goffs Bumper

My other horses got balloted out of the race so I had to run something!.

Banbridge lunges late to land Champion Chase thriller

It was a fantastic race, a great two-mile chase, and a fantastic ride from JJ. I'm delighted for Ronnie and everyone to have a big winner here in Punchestown,. It wasn't our day in Cheltenham but delighted to win a big race here today. He's been a fantastic horse and Ronnie's patience through the Autumn when the ground wasn't right for us was really what won the race for us today. We were ready to run and had to wait. Ronnie said to wait and when the ground comes right we'd have him for the big day. Today we had a fresh horse, it's only his third run of the season. I'm so delighted to win a big one with him, for the horse as well as Ronnie and all connections. It was fantastic ride form JJ, he saved it all for when he needed it at the back of the last. I wasn't sure when he crossed the line but as Ronnie said he was in front where he needed to be. We know what conditions the horse performs on and the form-book is pretty obvious when you look at all his runs. On better ground his runs are all very good and when it gets softer, for whatever reason, he doesn't performer as well. We took the chance at Cheltenham because it's Cheltenham but it didn't work out. We freshened him up to come here and I'm delighted to win a big race with him.

Spillane's Tower proves a popular winner of champion novice

Sixandahalf scores wide margin bumper win

she has obviously improved from the first day when she was very green and I'm delighted with the way she picked up and quickened away. I thought if she ran well here that she might win a summer bumper, so I'm delighted. It's the owners' (Best of the Rest Syndicate) first horse with me and they only bought her since she finished second the last day so they're off to a good start. That winner went on and won at Fairyhouse and I thought Sixandahalf improved plenty from that run. I thought she'd run a big race but then I came into the parade ring and looked at all these fine big horses and she is quite small. She's doesn't know she's small, to be fair to her, and she has an engine.