Going - Standard. Cold
Jackpot Pool - 359.49 Not Won. Carried forward to Fairyhouse on Thursday 18th January. Placepot Pool - 31,536.86 Dividend - 92.00 Winning Units - 239.88. Days Aggregate - 195,867.18 Last Year 194,285.16
Well-backed Gran Caballo wins Dundalk's opener
Course specialist Dark Street notches third win
HRI Award winner Joyce gets the ball rolling for 2024
he jumped and was in my hands a little bit, so I was happy to let him travel away. He was game in the first-time blinkers and meant business today, although I thought I was chinned!. He kept going, but I thought we were done on the line. He was good two runs back when Joey Sheridan rode him.
Old Peculier completes Dundalk hat-trick
he did it well again, likes this place and Keithen gave him a great ride. He has got all the luck up here and has got a clear run and everything like that. He's living way above our expectations. I think the biggest thing to him is the blinkers - they have worked and how long more that's going to continue, I don't know. They are bringing out huge improvement and they won't be coming off him. It is hard to know what to do with him - he is a bit of a monkey and if we give him a break he might not come back to where he was before. We were planning to go jumping hurdles so might put that on hold for another little bit. We'll sit down and have a look, and we'll see what comes up. He probably deserves a crack at a decent handicap, so we might just go down that route.
Aisling Oscar overcomes poor form to win on handicap debut
I think it is really just a case of the penny starting to drop. I suppose a small field and a light weight is probably a big help as well. Hopefully, he can come on from that and improve. Craig said he would have a chance and that he is after coming on from his previous runs, so he was spot on in fairness to him.
Dundalk double for apprentice jockey Horgan
he has been running well and Hugh gave him a lovely ride. I don't think they went a great pace and he settled. He stuck his head out tonight and kept at it, so it is grand. There is a race here in two weeks over five furlongs.
Consecutive wins for James Henry
he was a wee bit funny in the stalls - it wasn't the tactics we wanted to go with, but Scott did brilliant to get him from where he was. He's a big horse and doesn't do a whole pile when he gets there. He'll be out of the grade (47-65) now, so hopefully he keeps improving although I actually prefer him at seven (furlongs). He's exciting for the grass and there will be plenty of fun for the owners.
McGuinness wins finale with expensive breezer
he ran in a really good maiden in Naas during the summer and we thought he was a 'sure thing' the next time but got drawn up the wrong side up the Curragh and he has been disappointing. He ran well in Cork in a winners' race, we then put him into winners' company and there were also good horses with him. He disappointed in the Birdcatcher but the ground was horrible and I put it down to the ground. Every other race he has run in, he has been very consistent. He is entered in the sales next month in Tattersalls or will be sold before then - he would be an ideal horse for the Middle East. He was a breeze-up purchase (for €100,000) last year, he wasn't cheap - I think he was one of our most expensive breeze-up horses. We bought six breezers and he is now the sixth to win. The pressure is now on for two months time when we are back again.