Going - Straight: Soft (Soft, soft to heavy in places after R2 - Soft to Heavy after R4) Round: Yielding to Soft (Soft after R2). Overcast
Placepot Pool - 25,125.93 Dividend - 28.20 Winning Units - 623.67. Days Aggregate - 187,637.00 (8 races). Last Year 132,849.00 (7 races).
High Definition clearly the best under Lordan
St Mark's Basilica gets Heffernan's blessing
Make A Challenge easily records fourth Listed win
That was impressive. I wasn't expecting that, to be honest, I was expecting Speak In Colours to give us a right test and probably beat us. I thought we were always better over five but that is his ground. There aren't too many horses that would live with him on that ground, he just motors through it. This was only a stepping stone to the Flying Five here on Champions Weekend. He's in Tipperary during the week in a Listed race. We don't work him much at home. He's been coming here, picking up prize-money, and using races to step to another race. We just feel he's better fresh like that and he's had a little break, I'd say he's really freshened up well. This time last year he came alive and hopefully he is coming good again. There is a good program. There is the Flying Five, the l'abbaye and Champions Weekend at Ascot. We'll look at the three of them. It's great for Joe as well, he's having a good run of it. Hopefully it keeps raining and if the horses keep running like that I'll be happy. I wouldn't say Battaash is unbeatable but he's going to be very hard to beat. You'd be disappointed that A'Ali didn't show more as he beat us here but that was on better ground. Obviously we are better on this type of ground.
Pretty Gorgeous living up to her looks and price tag
McMonagle on the mark again
It was a good performance under top-weight, Dylan is good value for his claim and he gave her a lovely confident ride,. Obviously his claim helped but it was still a good performance from her to carry the weight and win in that ground, I actually think she enjoyed the ground. She was dropping in class after running in a couple of stakes races. She was due to run in Sligo when the race was called off and that was obviously for luck now. We had hoped that she was a filly that was capable of getting black-type. It hasn't happened yet but hopefully it will. She will have an entry in a handicap on Champions Weekend but it will depend on the ground. I'm very lucky to have some very good apprentices in the yard. Obviously Shane (Crosse) is very good and Dylan is very good. He has lots of experience pony racing as does Mikey Sheehy. I have a few other good chaps there, Alan Persse, Hugh (Horgan) and Cathal Gahan. When apprentices get going, get on a roll, and get a bit of confidence it's kind of a free 7lb. I'm lucky to have a number of good apprentices.
Swiney strikes late in Futurity
Rough Diamond sparkles on debut at 28/1
He's out of a good race-mare who wanted soft ground and she has bred me a couple of decent sprinters who wanted soft ground. For one of ours to win first time is a shock. He's never been away from home and has never been on grass. He could be interesting. He was very green but he quickened up well. Those maidens don't take a lot of winning but that's not to take away from him as he could be okay. Mark comes in and rides out for my daughter on a Saturday and rides the odds one for me. We haven't been flying so it's nice to get a winner.
Jack Cleary rides first winner on 50/1 chance Mogwli
I'm delighted for the young lad, it's his third ride. He works hard in the yard. He's a local lad and is trainer Micky Cleary's son. I'm delighted with that, my wife Amanda bred the horse so she'll be happy. It's the second win for the little horse and we have a half-brother by Raven's Pass going to the sales. He doesn't like the wind and having it behind him was the best thing for him. He rode a grand race and I loved the way he fought back at the finish.