Going - Soft, soft to heavy in places (Hurdle Crse), Soft (Chase Crse). Overcast
Jackpot Pool - 23,777.97 Dividend - 1,849.30 Winning Units - 9. Placepot Pool - 75,058.14 Dividend - 124.30 Winning Units - 422.51. Pick Six Pool - 27,509.63 Not Won. Carried forward to Navan on Sunday 19th February. Days Aggregate - 699,736.00 Last Year 507,955.00
Partner books Cheltenham ticket
Fortune too strong for Juvenile rivals
We knew with a bit of ease in the ground and the cheekpieces today it was going to be a different story,. We said we were going to make plenty of use of him today and make them work. Thankfully it worked out great. We’ll go to the Triumph Hurdle now, that’s the plan. Cheltenham will suit him. He has actually proved he can go on a bit nicer ground and we know he stays - you have to stay to win a Triumph Hurdle. The cheekpieces on him made a big difference. You can see there today he was travelling the whole way whereas the last couple of runs he was behind the bridle.
Disko dances to Grade One glory
It’s a great thrill to have one to jump as well that and it never really looked a problem, he was gaining ground at every fence,. Everything seemed to be going really well and it’s lovely to be able to watch something like that. You would never be confident in a Grade 1 especially with the lads in behind you. You never want to build your confidence up too much but I was happy when he jumped the last alright. There was only a half and a half between the three of them the last day and it’s only one good jump really. It might have been the trip. That trip seems to suit him and that’ll be the way we go I’d imagine. I’ll talk to Eddie and Mike and see what they say. He said the ground wasn’t as bad on that track and he loved it. I was slightly worried because he worked on very soft ground at home last week and I thought he wasn’t as effective on it. It was the perfect ride. He jumped great for him and did everything right. He jumped that well he got the others in trouble. I’d say Cheltenham ground will suit him alright - the usual Cheltenham ground. I would never think that he would want quick ground. He’s a beautiful moving horse.
Sizing shows stamina to land Irish Gold Cup
Robert said they went very steady and he was a bit keen over the first three fences and he kept wanting to go,. He said it was a good thing he made a mistake at the second last first time around as he sort of spat it out after that. He was just brilliant. He was still cantering turning in, as far as I could see, and when he asked him he quickened up. I know he didn’t win very far but he still won and he wasn’t stopping. I have no idea of the plan and I have to talk to Alan and Ann. It makes for a nice decision. It’s my first runner in the Irish Gold Cup and my first winner. It’s very exciting. He looks like a three-mile chaser rather than a two-miler. Seven times he’s been beaten by Douvan, second five times and third twice. If he had won all those races he’d have started favourite for this race. Everyone was doubting that he would stay and I got a bit more worried when the ground got soft, as I think he’s a horse that’s probably better on slightly better ground. He’s in all three races at Cheltenham so we’ll see what happens. He’ll be coming out of the Champion Chase though!. They were all good Grade 1 horses so it was a fair test.
Someday for Harrington after bumper winner
I think he just saw the big screen because he was running absolutely dead straight and suddenly he just jinked like that,. He’s a good horse. He hasn’t run since Punchestown as he had a few little problems and he’s a big weak horse. I thought the ground would find him out today. I think he was named that because someday he might be a helluva good horse. I’ll talk to the owner now and see where we go. There were a lot of horses fancied in it and I thought it was a very hot race. He did well to finish second first time out and he’s grown a lot since then. He just needs to develop a bit more.