Going - (Good, Yielding in places after 4th) Hurdle/Bumper: Good Chase: Good To Firm (Good in places) . Raining
Balloo takes the opener for Walsh & McBratney
He did it nicely and he settled better today. He is catching on to the game. We will keep him going now on good ground for the summer, that's if we get a summer! He'll jump a fence in time. Five people make up the winning Back To Balloo Syndicate and they are from Killinchy in Co Down. Brothers Alan & Bill Dunlop bred the horse and they are part of the syndicate. Alan is a vet.
Flemross foils major gamble on Sir Ector
He is a front runner so that keeps him out of trouble. I didn't know how fit he was today. He is a summer horse so we will keep running him now. He needs thunder and lightning, thunder to wake him up and lightning to make him go. He has been working well at home but he needed that run.
Double for Ruby as Terminal scores in the rain
Ted helps Ruby to a treble
He was the highest rated horse in the race off 116. He ran well at Fairyhouse the last day and he jumped well today and got a great ride. All those things helped him.
Bets bounces back to his best
He did it well. He jumped from fence to fence. Superior jumping, a nice light weight and the extreme trip all helped him. The ease in the ground also helped (changed after the fourth race to good, yielding in places, from good to firm). He has a cut on his leg coming in there but if he is alright he will be kept going over the summer.
Galway Plate a possible target for Tammys Hill
He has always been a good horse. He won a point-to-point as a 4yo. When we ran him on the track (earlier in his career) he wasn't strong enough but he has strengthened up now. We will try and win another point-to-point with him now to get him qualified for the champion point-to-point race. He is a brilliant jumper and will be kept on the go over the summer and could be a Galway Plate horse.
Lavery in good form as he guides Honey home
She is a full sister to Open Up Your Heart (who won her bumper over the course in February of last year and is also trained by Hamilton). I only have her six to eight weeks. She works very well at home and I was pleased with the bit of rain that fell.