Punchestown Sun, 26th Nov, 2023  Birchdale He was enjoying it anyway which with those horses is the main thing and the third horse ran well too. Vital Island is a good old yardstick to know where you are going. We might have a look at Cheltenham in December but he likes it anyway which is the main thing and he’d like a bit of nicer ground in the spring. We couldn’t even dream of going to Cheltenham for the last two years taking on them other horses which were in a different ballpark. It was Mica Malpic’s first time around here and Darragh (O’Keeffe) said he finished it out well and was warming up to it. He’d also like good ground but he enjoyed it and will be back again. He’d 12 stone as well and had to give 10lb to Birchdale. The new layout seemed to ride well. There are no sharp bends and everyone got around safely which is the main thing.