Naas Wed, 24th Jul, 2024  Power Under Me he's a lovely horse and that's a nice bonus as it wasn't on the agenda as he's in the middle of a holiday at the minute, aiming for an autumn campaign. Kerri (daughter) rides him every day and he just leads two-year-olds. We're trying to just keep him ticking over and give him his break. He qualified for this race, you don't expect to get this ground at this time of the year and it just fell right for him. Colin said he thought he was going to win hands-and-heels and then had a blow so he had to give him a few flicks. I thought he'd need this as we haven't revved him up and that will leave him set up and now I can get him revved up for September, onwards. He's a star and I'm delighted for Vincent and Geraldine (Gaul, owners), he's just been a lovely horse for them.

Curragh Sun, 21st Jul, 2024  Babouche She's a filly we've always liked and has a temperament to die for,. She's become more switched off since she ran in Cork. It's okay winning in Cork like we did but we learned nothing because she did it all on her own, with the way the race was run. Coming here you're lobbing into a proper stakes race against the boys and you are wondering what did she learn. Since the run in Cork she's just been so switched off at home. Colin said that you can't get over her temperament. She got mashed out of the stalls there, then had to do it the hard way and then got to the front and parked and looked around. Maybe she'll improve and she needs to improve if we're going to keep going forward. We'll see how she comes out of it but at the minute we're going to take on the boys in the Phoenix Stakes. She doesn't show a whole pile at home since her run. Before her run we knew she was special but since then she shows you nothing. I've always said that we're winning our Listed, Group Threes and Twos but for the Group Ones you need the temperament. That can be the final thing that you're missing and she seems to have that. I've been blessed since Juddmonte came into the yard, we're always finding one. Last year was the ordinary year but even her sister (Zarinsk) pulled us out of the hole by winning a Group 2.

Curragh Sun, 21st Jul, 2024  Red Letter It was no more than you probably expected from her after seeing her on debut the first day,. She stepped forward nicely and you'd expect her to win her maiden that way, so we're delighted with her. We'll see how she comes out of it before making any plans. I think it's just raw ability at the moment, I don't think she's a two-year-old and I think it's all about next year with her. We'll let her tell me what we do with her, whether we bring her back. I'll tell Barry (Mahon) what I'm seeing at home and discuss it with the (Adbullah) family about whether we come back for the Moyglare or something like that. She's done a lot quick, we are only in the middle of July. I thought I seen in the parade ring that she's very much on the leg. She looked raw going down to the start and it's pure ability what you are seeing out there.

Killarney Mon, 15th Jul, 2024  Best Law We were a little worried about the ground but that was nicely done. The ground is proper good to firm summer ground but has a lovely cushion of grass so is safe enough for him to run. It is great to get a winner for Gaelic Bloodstock which is fronted by Philip Burns in Scotland and fair play to them for being patient with this horse. Hopefully there is a couple of more races for him before he goes jumping. He is a fine big horse and jumping will be his game.

Naas Sat, 6th Jul, 2024  National Lady Maybe I ran her back a bit quick (last time),. She's a big honest filly and Kerri reminded me that I was hard on her at two. You can see the size of her and she's grown into herself. James (Ryan) said she got a bit hot down at the start the last day so I put the hood on her just to do something different. The first thing Colin said was that she didn't need a hood, it's the last thing she needs. She's as quiet as a lamb, is very honest and six or seven are no problem. I'd have no problem stepping her back up to seven at this stage if we need to. More of the same I'd say. Black-type is always on the agenda, but is she good enough? It's one thing doing this but another stepping into that grade. They've to earn it but with a filly it's very important. It's nice for Mark having a double today, he deserves it as he puts a lot into the game so I'm delighted for him having a winner in the first with Johnny even though it beat us!. The horses are running well so I'm delighted. We'll make hay while the sun shines because it won't last forever.

Bellewstown Fri, 5th Jul, 2024  Yefimenko She was entitled to do that after her run in the Curragh. We picked this race out straight away after the Curragh because she's so quick out of the stalls, and the race fitted in and was made for her. She deserved to do it on the Curragh run and she did it well. You'd have to look at bigger targets with her, good sprints. That will be her game and we'll be working our way up.

Tipperary Wed, 3rd Jul, 2024  Blue Soul I’m absolutely chuffed to bits for Declan Landy as that’s the first winner he’s bred himself. James was excellent on her. He knew there was going to be a good gallop, but he had a good clock in his head. He said she idled a little in front so there is still a bit left there and might improve stepped up in trip. Chris (Hayes) rode her at the Curragh and got into a fair bit of trouble but fair play he looked after her and Ger said we’ll run her back.

Roscommon Tue, 2nd Jul, 2024  Serious Notions She was entitled to do that, she obviously got her black-type as a two-year-old (when third in the Ingabelle Stakes),. The owners have been very patient with her. They are Irish/American and spend six months of the year over here and six months back in America. Unfortunately they've gone back to America. There is a lot of interest in her, for her pedigree, probably to go to America. We'll see what the owners want to do. That's box ticked now so we'll go and make a plan for the rest of the year and enjoy the year if she's not sold.

Curragh Sun, 30th Jun, 2024  My Mate Alfie He's been very consistent all year and the blinkers have transformed him. He gets seven and the first furlong had me worried as they did 15 seconds and I thought it would turn into a sprint and they'd out-do him for speed. At home he's bomb-proof and you can do whatever you like but if you run him here without blinkers he just parks and won't do a thing. The blinkers are the difference between winning and losing. It's great for Austin (Whelan) and all his gang, he's called after his son Alfie. I say they'll take a while to get home tonight. We aimed to have three winners this weekend, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. I said if we don't win this it's all on the Derby and I don't think that's going to happen!. He's in the Stewards Cup' because it's a £250,000 race. I was fourth in it with a filly many years ago. I was also just chinned in an Ayr Gold Cup, I wanted to be the first Irish trainer to win it. Those are two races that are on my agenda. I don't think he's good enough but we'll see. We're always talking about prize-money. You've got the Wokingham that's worth £150,000 and the Stewards' Cup that is £250,000 so if you are serious about prize-money you have to partake.

Curragh Sat, 29th Jun, 2024  Apricot Ice You can see by the size of her she's still on the leg. We ran her in a Listed race at Leopardstown last year, that's what we thought of her. She's only going to get better with age. She's turned a wee corner there, she won her maiden and she's backed it up today. I'd say we only got away with it on the ground. She's all about top of the ground and, if the race was in two races time, I'd say we would have been in trouble. Colin still maintains that she'll get seven, but we'll keep doing this with the hope that she improves as a four-year-old. Obviously, the aim is that they grow into black-type fillies and I'd say that will happen at four.

Curragh Fri, 28th Jun, 2024  Beckman He's a nice horse. I was a little bit taken aback when I saw the yearling allocation and I saw what he was by. I was disappointed I didn't geld the sire when I had him!.. The horse has always shown he was a nice horse and it just goes to prove to you that every horse gets a horse. He's been very slow in coming and he had a winter coat for a while. Then about three or four weeks ago I said that this horse wins a seven-furlong maiden and he's ready for a start. I thought he won nicely. They went a million and he hit the line strong, which was the way we wanted. I like starting them at the Curragh, I thought he'd run well and we'll win our seven-furlong maiden somewhere but he's after taking it all in well and we won't say no to a winner. I have to congratulate Maurice on breeding him, especially doing it with his own sire. No doubt he'll be getting a long string of mares to be covered by Beckford!. Sadly he's not here. He was there on Wednesday and had his winner and we've had another winner for him so we're delighted with that. We'll take this horse home and watch him. The colts are behind the fillies I'd say and we'll see where we go with them.