Going - Hurdle - Yielding to Soft Chase - Soft, yielding to soft in places (Soft on both tracks after R5). Overcast and showery
Jackpot Pool - 2,896.20 Dividend - 1,859.94 Winning Units - 1.09. Placepot Pool - 89,542.76 Dividend - 294.10 Winning Units - 213.12. Days Aggregate - 554,111.31 Last Year
Telecon has connections singin' in the rain
That's brilliant, he seems to be a bit stronger this year. Ricky gave him a great ride, we were blessed it was the first race as he does want a bit of decent ground. I was a little bit worried about that. We think highly of him and it's great to win it. Pat McCarthy is a local man and he's the best owner you could wish for, he really deserves it. He'll jump a fence in time, Ian McCarthy had him when he finished third in a point-to-point and highly recommended him to us.
McNamara living the Dream after 33/1 Grade 2 success
We were running her hoping she might run into third or fourth,. After the third last I thought she was going to run a lovely race and when she straightened up I thought 'we're in with a big shout now'. She only had the one run over hurdles and I thought if we're going to lose our novice status at this time of year we may as well make it well worthwhile. She's a very happy filly, she can be very keen and she can do a lot of messing but she's quite relaxed behind it. She's just starting to settle down in herself and I think there could be more improvement to come from her. We don't get many shots to buy a horse with a chance to be a graded horse. Realistically she's the only one we've had that was in the price range that might end up in graded company so it's nice that it's worked out. She only had one run in Gowran which was actually quite an easy run because she got banged into early on and didn't have a hard race. That's the first race she's really had so we'll definitely go to Punchestown, I'll have a chat with the Dr (Andrew Heffernan) but I'd say we'll most likely go there. I'd imagine we'll even keep going after that. I think she has a rating around 90 on the Flat and she could also have the option of going to France for the summer. She has a brilliant pedigree and when we bought her the consignor was saying she was in the wrong sale as she'd make more money in the broodmare sale. It's all black-type and she has a residual value but we won't be going there for a while. S
Crawford's Ailie Rose makes all under O'Hanlon
That was great, it has to come right every now and again and thankfully it came right today,. She's a been a very gutsy little mare. She was nearly going to win a decent handicap at Haydock earlier in the season but had a bad fall that day and it's taken her a while to get back. We've a small team but we're a big family and this will mean a lot to everybody, all the help at home. She could go to Punchestown or maybe Ayr on Scottish National weekend. Today everything suited, conditions were right, and hopefully there will be something else.
Asterion holds off returning Monkfish
Game 'picks up the pieces' as Janidil falls at last
Compensation for Hayes on Macs Charm
I'm delighted with that. It was a big ask for his first run in a handicap, saying that it's a pity he wasn't in the race before it. He didn't actually qualify for it (Irish National) as he hadn't three runs at the time. He wants soft ground and he's been fortunate this year to get soft ground at this time of the year. We'll keep him in for Punchestown and see what the weather does. Unfortunately you just can't plan for soft ground at this time of the year and he's probably more a Thyestes horse. He's very ground dependent. He's been a right horse and that was only his fourth run over fences so it was a fair performance.
Elliott finishes on a brighter note
He's a lovely horse. We ended yesterday well and today. All the horses that handled the ground ran well today. We were second and third in the Irish National and they are running well. It's all about the future with these young horses.