Going - Heavy. Overcast
Jackpot Pool - €500.99 Dividend - €350.70 Winning Units - .18. Partial Carry Over of €410.84 to Punchestown on Wednesday 23rd February. Placepot Pool - €31,636.34 Dividend - €39.80 Winning Units - 556.07. Days Aggregate - €117,017.49 Last Year €165,233.00
Irish Blaze too hot for Hemlock
It's a bunch of local people that own him and we bought him at Cheltenham sales cheap enough for 20 grand,. We took a chance with him as we thought he might like better ground. It's great that he won and they'll get a bit of craic out of it. He'll run away all summer and they'll have a bit of craic with him. All he'll do is stay.
Brampton Belle grabs Listed honours
I'm delighted with that, she really toughed it out and Rachael was brilliant on her. That's her gig, she stays well, jumps well and I'd say the softer the better for her. The plan was always to come here and then head on to Limerick (March 13th) for the mares' novice there over two-miles-six (Grade 3 Shannon Spray Mares Novice Hurdle).
Thedevilscoachman claims his rival
He jumped so badly the last day, he wasn't having a cut at his fences at all, and Mark thought he sort of lost his bottle a bit. We thought that it was getting so late in the season that we'd maybe go back over hurdles and see how it goes. When I schooled him at home over hurdles he wasn't exactly showing me an awful lot but he jumped great for him today. I think the ground is a big factor with him. When he won his bumper in Naas he sprouted wings in it and he did the same today when he got going. He really came home. I haven't a notion where he goes next. He's in the Coral Cup and the County Hurdle. If he goes, the Coral Cup would be the one but it might not be easy after that. You'd imagine the way he did that he'd go to three miles.
Ask And Answer tough out under O'Keeffe
He was entitled to win one of those and hopefully he might get another one, maybe chasing. Sean was very good on him today. I'd say he's a horse that's a bit nervous in among horses and if he is able to dictate, like he did today, he's a happier horse. Every one of them is deeply appreciated.
Waittillitellyou leads home Cawley one-two
I thought I had a chance in the first (division, with Misty Hollow 10th and Two For The Road 11th) and after that I thought 'ah that's it, it's all gone'. He ran well enough in Naas but he just stopped on him, it was his first run of the year. I was waiting to get soft ground as he had leg trouble going way back. There was no easy ground since two months before Christmas and I was wondering if we'd ever get it. We were half thinking of letting him back into the field. He's a great big horse, if he could just put him together. JJ said he jumps and then he'd go to take off on you, then he'd settle again. Hopefully he'll settle down the road. He hasn't had that many runs because we had various problems. Coming here today I thought if he didn't run reasonably well we'd be looking for another job for him. Hopefully he might get another one somewhere along the line.
Farouk D'alene brings up double for Elliott and Kennedy
He was entitled to do that and he only does what he has to do. I thought Limerick was going to happen again there and he was going to get collared on the line. He's a grand horse. He's in the RSA and the National Hunt Chase. We'll see where we are and see what the ground is and then make our mind up. He'd need soft in it. He a deceiving type of horse, he's quicker than he looks. He didn't jump great in Naas the last day and it took him a while to get his confidence there. Down over the last three he was good.
Call The Tune a sweet winner for Connell
We were a bit surprised in Naas as we didn't think he was as forward as he was and that left him spot on for today. The step up to three miles on heavy ground, that's his gig. He's not the quickest in the world but he jumps effectively. There is a grand race for him in three weeks, a Grade B novice handicap chase over three miles.
Well-touted Madmansgame off the mark on track debut
He's a real three-mile chaser, an old-fashioned chaser. He's done some nice work at home but he was still very green there today and I think he'll learn a lot from that. Patrick thought he was very idle in front, and green, and when the other horses came to his hindquarters he picked up again and he thought he had plenty in reserve. It's a big open track and going wide too just showed how green he was. We're very happy that he made a winning debut. I think he's booked his ticket for Cheltenham.
