Going - Yielding (Hurdle, Chase, Bumper) Good (Cross-country). Fine
Jackpot Pool - 25,000.00 Dividend - 648.10 Winning Units - 27. Placepot Pool - 105,887.46 Dividend - 4.20 Winning Units - 17499.2. Pick Six Pool - 7,860.50 Not Won. Carried forward to Punchestown on Friday 1st May. Days Aggregate - 705,744.17 Last Year 641,383.00
Mullins returns to win a real War
It's great that he followed up. I was a little worried coming back after a week as he normally gets a bit of time. The fact that he didn't have a hard race helped. He was eating well and seemed in good shape. It was worth chancing as it was a good pot. He's game out and is a progressive horse. He's unlucky not to have won four in a row and seems to be getting stronger all the time. He was 24 in the ballot and just scraped in. He wouldn't have got in without the penalty. David's claim was a huge advantage and he knows the horse. We'll have to think about a nice handicap hurdle now. He's rated 64 on the Flat and I wouldn't rule that out but he certainly won't run for a while and we'll take it easy now. We'll think about Galway and there is a little race at Leopardstown in the New Year which he might sneak into the bottom of!
Jackson is leading Lady for Walsh
She's been great for us and has won over all trips. She has a lot of speed at home and is still very enthusiastic for a ten-year-old mare. She settles in, Mark gave her a lovely ride and they went plenty fast. She is going to stud and it's great to get that. Hopefully she'll go to Galway. Probably for the Plate which is the obvious race. She could have a little break now.
Junior lands second La Touche at age of 14
He's some hero in our yard. At 14 to run a race like that is fantastic. He always makes one bad mistake and hadn't throughout so I said coming to the last here it comes but he only lost half a length. He appreciates the drier ground and the sun on his back. Normally he drops out and it takes three-and-a-half miles for him to warm up but today after half a mile I was hopeful he'd run a big race. You saw Patrick after passing the winning post. He really enjoyed it and he's a fantastic horse to have in the yard. When he started out he couldn't jump and lost four or five hurdle races but he's made of iron and keeps going. Luke kept him in training and gave him time and it worked out. There is no talk of retirement as he's in good form and there are those type of races for him. I can't see the point of putting him out in a field as he gets bored. A horse like him is entertainment and he certainly gave us entertainment today. Enda (Bolger) was the first man to congratulate me and it was fantastic after 4m1f to have a race like that.
Jezki stays strong to blow away Fly
He pulled and tugged Mark the whole way but I've never seen him jump so well as he did today. He was making up ground at every hurdle and he did see out the three miles really well. He's an amazing horse for me to have. He's basically very straight-forward. He does like the spring with a bit of nice ground and the sun on his back. He's a better horse now than in the winter. Mark gave him an absolutely terrific ride and I'm really pleased for him. Punchestown is the local racecourse and I love having winners here. We re-routed him here as he's been beaten by Faugheen, Hurricane Fly and Arctic Fire so we decided to try something new. All the family stayed really well. At Cheltenham things didn't go right for him. It was run at a slow pace, Ruby dictated and he was probably a bit keen. AP said that if he'd rode him for second he would have been second but he was trying to win the race and it didn't work out. Up until the last two runs it would have been a disappointing season but he's won two Grade 1's now so we can't say it's too bad. Lets see what next season brings, it's a long way off. None of the family really jumped fences very well so I think we'll keep him over hurdles for the moment.
Tout gives Mullins another nice surprise
He disappointed at Cheltenham and I didn't know what he would do on this ground. Danny gave him a fantastic ride. He was creeping away all the way. He ran well here earlier this year over two miles which was way too short for him, so obviously he likes this place.
Sceaux flies in at 1/10 in Ryanair
That ground is plenty fast enough and I'm not sure I'd want to run on ground that fast again. I was a bit concerned how he was jumping a few fences away from the stands. He was going out to the left a bit and climbing one or two. We'll put him away now and go down the Champion Chase route next year. When the other horse came to him at the last Ruby had to shake him up but when he did shake him up he was fine. He wasn't too keen on the ground. I thought he made one or two errors and wasn't jumping half as well as he did at Cheltenham. I think he was just feeling the ground. All horses have their pressures but he's a tough horse to watch with his style of racing. I'm happy to get out to grass with him, and we'll try and work back from the spring next season. He had the potential after his hurdling experience and answered the calling everyday except for Thurles. It's never good to see them fall and although that probably taught him a little manners you'd hope he could learn that without falling.
Mullins whitewash as Out scoots in
Pierre Boulard bought her out of a claimer in France for me and it's great that he's here today to see her win. They don't all have to be big money horses, she was a very modest price. She has been surprising me. We were hoping she'd win races but didn't think she'd be coming to Punchestown and it's a pleasant surprise. She looks half decent and will hopefully keep improving.
York brings up Mullins 3273/1 5-timer on day 3