Going - Yielding to soft. Overcast
Placepot Pool - 13,281.82 Dividend - 362.00 Winning Units - 25.68. Quadpot Pool - 2,476.05 Dividend - 23.40 Winning Units - 78.23. Days Aggregate - 93,725.00 Last Year 86,712.00
"Very smart" Crosshill impresses in Punchestown opener
Mulcahy bags biggest win in Red Mills Irish EBF Auction Final on Dady
Mate maintains unbeaten record since returning
I wasn't sure if he'd get 2m4f but he (Flanagan) said he'd get another half (mile). I told him to wait but he said he just took him there easily. The reason I ran him at 2m4f was I thought there wasn't another Rated race for a while and I didn't want to run him in a Graded race but he'll be a Graded horse now. It is such a pity for the people who own him (High Spirits Racing Club) who have been with me years and used to work in the (Slane) Distillery. They love racing so much it is a pity they are not here to see it.
Dreal Deal has McNally dreaming of Cheltenham
It was a nice performance and I didn't really know what to expect today going up 22lbs, the ground was changed and he was up in grade. The handicapper was right to be fair, he told me he thought he was right and we are happy,. To win four-in-a-row with any horse is amazing but I paid a lot of money for him and I'm delighted it has worked out. Ciaran Fennessy advised me to buy the horse and he has never put me far wrong yet and he sold me See Double U, Da Baba Elephant and The Jam Man. He has never put me far wrong with a horse yet and I trust him - when he tells me he has one for me to buy I don't even go and look at the horse, I just transfer the money and go and get it. He is a big part of this whole success. Maxine has ridden this horse in schooling races when he was young and it made sense to go for a Ladies Handicap Hurdle which may have been a wee bit weaker than a normal 0-116 race. Maxine is as good a rider in Ireland and was ultra cool on him; I was actually panicking turning for home and was saying 'move forward' but she knew what she had and read the race brilliantly. He is in at Cork on Sunday but I'll ask the handicapper as it depends on what he is going to do. Ideally I don't want to go to Cork but if the handicapper is going to be hard I'll have to run and then give him a break until the spring as he is more a good ground horse. We all want to go to Cheltenham in the spring but he is not as good as that yet. He needs to go up to 130-135 to go to Cheltenham and
First fences win for Finest
she has been knocking on the door all summer and it is great for Colin and Fiona (Bowe) who keep let me ride her and it is great to one before the winter ground comes. She is very tough - I thought the ground might be a little against her today but she enjoyed it and loves jumping. The three fences that were taken out (due to the low sun) would have suited her to jump but it worked out well. I'm full-time with Colin and do a bit of schooling for other trainers in the evenings.
Exhibition shortens up for big race success after winning chase debut
I'm relieved. It's our best horse and I wasn't nervous about winning I was nervous about a clean safe round of jumping,. Bryan had been thrilled with his schooling at home and said he jumps like a two-miler and is very fast through the air. It didn't suit early in the race that it was a bit like a handicap and Bryan just started schooling him then. He was delighted with him thereafter and to be honest if he went around with an ass he'd only just do that and only does what he has to. We'll be trying to avoid Envoi Allen and he might come back here in 18 days time for the Florida Pearl Chase. We'll see what happens with Envoi Allen first of all along with the other good novices.
McGuane rides 1st winner as Harrington team double up