Going - Good to Yielding, Yielding in places. Overcast
Jackpot Pool - €20,472.22 Dividend - €158.10 Winning Units - 90.63. Placepot Pool - €102,549.41 Dividend - €196.20 Winning Units - 365.73. Days Aggregate - €628,010.16 Last Year €203,194.00
Life In The Park lands opener under O'Connor
He was a bit disappointing at Christmas and we put him away. He seems to appreciate this ground. I’m delighted for the Maloneys and for Mikey (O'Connor) who is a big part of our team.
Ewing times it well on Ambitious Fellow
He was bought to be sold but we brought him across to Doncaster and couldn’t get anyone to buy him. Oran Crean, Gerry O’Neill and my wife Ber own him. He goes on nicer ground and we’ll tip away over the summer. I’ve been very lucky in this series. Fair play to Red Mills it’s great sponsorship and puts horses that don’t cost too much in their own bracket and gives them a good final at the end of it.
Crosshill delights Harrington in Punchestown
It’s my favourite race (won it in 2021 and 2016) ! He lost his confidence over fences and was jumping off to one side so it’s fantastic to get that back. It wasn’t straightforward today but he’s very tough and he stays very well. Robbie gave him a great ride and there is no better rider around here. I don’t know if he’ll go back over fences. Maybe in the summer on good ground he might enjoy it. He’s tough and hardy.
The Nice Guy keeps surprising Mullins
He totally surprises us and wouldn’t win any sort of race at home on our gallop but he loves it on grass on the track. He keeps surprising us. There is not a lot of condition on him, he’s a light-framed horse and doesn’t take much training. He’s a unique specimen in his own way. He’s the exact opposite of a morning glory. He does it in the afternoon which is tremendous. I was a little surprised he went on at the second last but Paul said he didn’t want to get caught on the inside at the last bend. I think he was idling in front. The first two will go chasing next season.
Mullins and Townend double up with 'monster' Allaho
Bryan Cooper who rode Al Boum Photo said he’d never ridden in a faster Gold Cup in his life. It was end-to-end stuff. He just got beaten in Cheltenham as a novice over three miles but he’s a lot more mature now and able to stay. I’ll have a word with the owners to see where we go. That will open a lot more options for him now and he’s going to be more mature next season. Another quarter of a mile (in the Cheltenham Gold Cup) is tough but I think he’s better going left-handed.
Far from Facile for Vega as he battles to stay unbeaten
He was quite worked up in the parade ring and down at the start which wouldn't be like him, so I think the season was probably starting to get to him a bit. I said it before Cheltenham that there wasn't much between this fella and Redemption Day on homework. Redemption Day is a very good horse as well. Turning out of the back straight, I'm thinking to myself 'you're a bit flat' and I wanted to hold onto him as long as I could. I'd love it if I'd had the balls to let Jody (Townend on Redemption Day) to go past me. I didn't even want to get involved as early as we did. I was happy I would beat American Mike for gears but I thought that Redemption Day might be a little bit quicker than me. He was flat today and he still won, he got headed and he battled back. He's the full package, he can do it tough if he needs to.
Royal Rendezvous seals Mullins' four-timer
I got caught for room a little bit between four and three out and I just had to sit. When I got him out in the straight, and got clear road out in front of him, he started to motor. I knew if his jumping held together he was in with a live shout. What he did there was settled which he hadn't done before. He was good and smart down over the first but when Rachael and Philip wanted to go on I elected to just tuck in behind Rachael and he was happy out there. Jumping kept him in the race and his jumping has won it for him at the end of the day because it was a big weight-carrying performance. I've definitely had worse days, that's for sure! I'm very happy to be able to ride this level of horse and the two that came before him. It has been a good day. Paul said he’s settling. He’s always very forward going but today when he got a bit of cover he settled into a rhythm and he was able to delay his challenge. I don't think so (go for Galway Plate again), it would be a bit of an ask. We will see where we go with him. There's not much else - Kerry National maybe but that is over three miles but prize-money wise that would look the race for him. That's a long way away.
The Model Kingdom impresses Meade in Punchestown
I’d say the way the race was run suited her as she was very short. She got a stress fracture behind and had to stand in her box for about two months. I don’t know how she is fit but maybe she doesn’t take a lot to be ready. I’d say she will have a break but I have no doubt she could win flat races. She’s a well-bred mare.
