Going - Yielding, yielding to soft in places. Overcast
Jackpot Pool - 792.21 Not Won. Carried forward to No Course. Placepot Pool - 17,355.24 Not Won. Carried forward to No Course. Days Aggregate - 185,949.79 Last Year 107,577.00
Malbay lands massive gamble in Killarney opener
There aren't many races for two-year-olds rated that low (49, racing from 7lb out of the handicap) in Ireland and it's great he got a chance and wasn't balloted. Breeze-ups is my thing and buying and selling yearlings for other people but I thought he looked like a racehorse at the sales last year and bought him for 4,000 guineas in Tattersalls Book 3. We have the license at home purely if we don't sell one and this horse didn't get into a breeze-up sale. It's great and he'll improve again. He got a knock after his last run after getting a fall in the yard and got a load of scratches and got three weeks off. He came back and was working well with a horse rated higher than he was and I didn't think he'd get as low a mark as that (49) to be honest. I said to Wayne to ride him with confidence and that we were hopeful. I think he is a horse with a future and I think he'll be better at 1m 2f and will be a nice horse for three-year-old hurdles next year. He was meant to have a claiming jockey on but the same claimer decided not to ride him on the morning of declaration so I enquired into getting Wayne and I'm glad I had him. He made the difference. I'm coming back here on Saturday in Killarney to get married to Ellen O'Flynn so it is a great start to the weekend!
Mudamer another for Prendergast
Charterhouse proves too good for Ruby rivals
It was brilliant, he got a great ride from Scott who filled him with confidence all the way and didn't go for him too early - I think he likes to be codded along through his races. He has been busy enough the last few weeks and deserves a little break now. I think a mile is spot on for him.
Arthur prevails under King for Hogan
Geological notches-up a 17th career success
I didn't expect him to do that as I thought the ground was a bit dead but the older he is getting, he is appreciating the bit of juice in the ground. He missed the break in Galway and things didn't go to plan but with an old horse like that, he minds himself and knows himself when it's not going right. It is unbelievable how many jockeys have won on him on their first ride. Shane Foley and Colin Keane both won on him first time. Declan said he was going away at the end, appreciated the ground and said to get him out again. I have nothing planned but we'll make it up as we go along and we have Dundalk all winter too.
La Hacienda strikes Gold in the Kingdom
McConnell's on the mark with 'unbelievable' Anna
Gentleman made to work in Killarney finale
It was a sprint finish and he is an out-and-out galloper and if anything, that caught him out. He is in the English Cesarewitch and has an entry over fences at Ballinrobe on Monday. We'll see how he is, he is a brilliant jumper and looks well in for that chase. He ran a cracker and was much quicker out of the stalls today and stayed at it well. He should have a nice career on the Flat and the jumps in the Galway Plate seemed to slow him down. He ran a great race, has a great constitution for his age and is a dinger of a horse.