Going - Sprint: Yielding. Round: yielding to soft. Overcast
Jackpot Pool - 1,809.26 Not Won. Carried forward to Kilbeggan on Friday 26th April. Placepot Pool - 18,975.73 Dividend - 140.60 Winning Units - 96.52. Pick Six Pool - 1,543.06 Days Aggregate - 135,136.00 (8 races). Last Year (7 races).
Pistoletto impresses in season opener at Tipperary
He is fast and has plenty boot for five (furlongs). I'd imagine he's a Norfolk (Stakes, at Royal Ascot) horse., . He is a beautiful looking horse and is mature and always showed plenty at home. He probably has a little more boot than the lad (Fort Myers) who won at Dundalk last night and he is a smart horse.
Hogan & McAuley strike with another cheap buy
A big thanks must go to the agents James and Stephen McAuley who go to these sales and sometimes I wonder what they do be buying! . They do all the spotting at the sales and do good work. They don't fork out big money and are cute and bought this lad for 3,000 pounds and he's now after winning a E25,000 pot!. He works smart and is all speed and he could be a Rockingham horse or those Curragh races. We enjoyed those days with Tithonus and hopefully he can be something like that. He had pelvis problems before he came to us.
Progressive Dream records fifth career success
Shane Foley liked her and said she'd definitely get black-type somewhere along the line, he didn't know when, it could be the end of the year. She has improved from last year. She was a little bit keen early on and two furlongs down you'd imagine she was only going to be third but she stuck at it. That is the first time ever she has had to battle a good bit as normally she is a few lengths clear with a furlong to go. We have the Athasi Stakes (Curragh, May 6th) mapped in for Monday week provided we get a downpour the night before.
Hamariyna gets it right on second start
She had a lovely first run in Leopardstown and we liked her a lot at home. It's nice to get a bracket for her early in the year and she likes an ease in the ground. She has a lovely temperament. The race worked out lovely and she did everything right. You'd be hoping there would be more to come with her through the year and her half-sister (Hunaina) kept improving and got better with age. She doesn't lack pace but might even get further in time and she loves an ease. She could be a nice filly with a future.
Whelan completes quick double on Queen
She is very, very genuine and didn't win that out of turn. She didn't win last year and had been second and third and it's nice to get the win so early in the year. She goes on any ground and we're lucky she is genuine and tries her heart out. Ronan was brilliant on her.
Lee & Hackett on the mark with Seamie
The hurdling stood to him as he fought it out well today. It wasn't the strongest race in the world but it is great to get a win at any level. I'll see how he comes out of it but he is in a 1m 3f handicap at Limerick on Saturday and if he is okay we'll go again. He takes his racing very well and was just unlucky with problems last year when he missed most of the year. Hopefully we'll knock a bit of fun out of it.
Friendless Sir Dragonet wins well on debut
He is a very well bred horse, he is out of Sparrow and has a Galileo pedigree. He has been there a while but has obviously been sleeping and that can happen sometimes. That's why we get them out just in case that is the way but it's nice to find him. A horse with a pedigree like that could be anything. He is in the King Edward Stakes in Ascot and we'll see where we go. The first winner (Pistoletto) has plenty speed and we were delighted with him. Donnacha thought he was a smart horse. I was delighted with Cape Of Good Hope yesterday and he seems to be well. We went there because we weren't sure about the distance or the track and he obviously coped with both well. Ryan thought he would stay further and we'll get through all the trials first and see where we are going. He can be there to go wherever now.
Hasanabad gets off the mark as gamble goes astray
He did what you'd expect and he'll probably go for a winners of one next. There's one over 1m 6f at Killarney in a couple of weeks time and he'll probably run there. The second horse was very well fancied too and the first two drew clear. I was very pleased with him and he is progressive.