Going - Soft to Heavy, Soft In Places. Fine
Jackpot Pool - €10,000.00 Dividend - €7,000.00 Winning Units - 1. Placepot Pool - €31,225.53 Dividend - €111.80 Winning Units - 195.43. Pick Six Pool - €13,000.65 Not Won. Carried forward to Dundalk on Wednesday 28th March. Days Aggregate - €192,691.00 Last Year €442,642.00
Engine not revved but Pride still succeeds
He must be a really good colt. He's done miles and miles of cantering but we've never revved the engine,. I was horrified by the carry-on of him beforehand, I can't believe that. He'll be getting the courtesy for boys and girls book in the morning, if I can't get one in Easons today. He's definitely talented and loved the ground. He's from a good family, that's four from four for the mare and she won five herself, including twice as a two-year-old. When I give ten grand for one they really need to be group horses. He'll progress and we'll take our time with him. Today was a big day for him. I'm a bit disappointed with the before race carry-on but I think he's a very nice horse and he never galloped until today. Ground definitely helped because he was very fit. It's a great tribute to the lads at home and how hard they've worked. If racing could stop now I'd be leading trainer for a week.
Katie goes one better on return to Naas
Chris was happy with her and thinks she's quite nice,. There's still a bit of improvement to come, he reckons, and she'll come on a good bit from the run. I'm not sure where she'll go now. She is for sale and if she's not sold obviously we'll have to go again. If we do go again it'll be in a black-type race somewhere to add a bit of value. We do think quite a bit of her at home and she's done it there today. A big thanks to Sonny Farrell who rides her everyday. He's the main man and it's down to him.
"Wheels are back on the wagon" for well-backed Jack
The horses are as fit as we can have them at home,. Part of me didn't want to run him and the other part said well we've had all of last season off . We literally couldn't get him to raise a gallop at home. He was a Group 2 winner but we gelded him at the end of the season and kept him going. His work was okay but was like we were seeing at two, without getting carried away. The only box we didn't tick today was the heavy ground but my theory is once they turn four I'm running them and if they don't handle it we won't ask them to do it again. The wheels are back on the wagon and we'll probably aim for that Listed race in Navan (Cork Stakes on April 7th). We'll see what the handicapper does and we'll tread lightly. If he gets back to any semblance of what he was at two we'll have fun with him this summer.
Dianthus on the market after Madrid success
I'm delighted with her. I was half hoping something like that could happen because she'd been working terrible well,. Chris got off her in Leopardstown and said point her at the Madrid Handicap. To be honest I had to go home and look up and find out what it was. She came back in on January 2nd and everything has gone unbelievable all the way along to here. I'd say there is every chance she's a stakes filly to be honest. How long I get to keep her is going to be the big question but we've done a lot of our job with her and she seems to be quite good. Chris was saying she's a Guineas trial filly and she might target the same handicap (at Leopardstown) that last year's winner went for as long as the handicapper doesn't go mental. I'd be astonished if she wasn't sold on the strength of that to be honest.
Making Light takes opening Group race for Weld
She's a very consistent filly and it's nice to win another Group race with her,. All being well she'll go for the Gladness, that would be the logical progression for her. Over seven or a mile, she seems to be equally versatile. I gather what happened (on the way to the start) was that there are swings down below and some of the children ran out and she unseated Leigh. She was always travelling like a winner all the way through and the only slight concern I had was a mile on the very heavy ground, on the score of fitness. It's lovely to win the first Group race of the year. Obviously we're hopeful that Pat will be back soon. She's a lovely mare and a lovely mare to train. I think she'll be equally effective over seven as a mile the way she was travelling there at the seven. It was lovely to win it especially as Eva Maria (Bucher-Haefner) was here today, she came over to see her run.
On The Go Again a very popular winner of the Lincoln
He gets two mile (over hurdles) on goodish ground but just about on heavy ground and he has always shown plenty of speed,. I said to Gary 'what do you think about the Lincoln' and he said 'I'd love to ride him in it.'. Then I had a work with Mark Bird (handicapper) and he said to me that he was one of the horses that he thought could win the Lincoln. We changed plans and kept him away from Cheltenham. We were ready for this race and I haven't even thought where we go after this but looking at that we'd probably have to go up into a Group race. The long range plan is that I'd like to go to the Galway Hurdle. He'll probably get a few spins on the Flat and then we might give him a little break around May all going well. We were second in a Group 2 before but that's the best race we've ever won.
Jones Lyons and Keane quick out of blocks with a brace
He's been doing everything right at home. He has a hood on him because he's a bit buzzy and the last two months he's probably switched off,. He's trained all winter because we gave him all summer off. I didn't want to risk him in Dundalk because of the surface and I was worried today about sending him over a mile on that ground even though a mile will be his trip. As Colin said to me it's all about his head. He's after having a good introduction, winning well, and the three have come clear. I think he's a smart horse and we'll have to see to what level he'll improve but we won't rush him.
