Shishkin wins thrilling Supreme

We say it every year, that something will come and bite you and sadly this year it was Altior, so it’s a relief to begin with a winner. He was one of our more powerful shots of the week, but all three ran well really (Allart was fifth) — they are three lovely horses. I couldn’t see what was happening to Shishkin coming down the hill, he got slightly hampered and Barry (Geraghty) looked in the right place on Chantry House, but Shishkin has got those gears — and he needed them. Nico was cool-headed, we know he’s cool round here.

Put The Kettle On does it for the girls in the Arkle

Aidan was brilliant on her and said she just attacked every fence. She had course and distance form in the book, so you couldn’t underestimate her, but obviously Notebook was our more fancied runner. She just keeps on improving and I’m delighted, it’s fantastic.

The Ultima goes to The Conditional

I thought we had lost it at the second-last when he pecked, but that has probably done us a favour, as I said to Brendan don’t hit the front too soon — he gave him a fantastic ride. He is a good horse, but he is still only a baby. I was umming and ahhing whether to run in the RSA. If I’m being honest, I was half-hoping we were going to get balloted out of this, but we got in easy, so I thought stuff it and the betting never gets it wrong. I half-fancied him to run into a place in the RSA, not necessarily win it, which would have made him a certainty for today.

Champion performance from Epatante in day one highlight

Blackmore excels on Honeysuckle in Mares' Hurdle

They are two amazing ladies. It was a great bit of race-riding to nip up the inside when Paul opted to go wide and it looks like it won her the race. Rachael had to sit and suffer for a bit, but when the gap appeared she was gone. She really toughed it out up the hill. She gets from A to B over her hurdles and that’s it. We never try to find out too much at home, but she has always looked nice and came to us highly recommended after winning her point. I don’t know about chasing, we haven’t even touched on that. It’s all been about this week. I always question myself, but she seems as good over two miles and further and goes on all ground. She really battled and threw herself at the last. Whatever about the mare, the lady on her back is something special — the pair of them are brilliant.

Aura takes Northern Trust Company Novices' Handicap Chase

It’s a huge relief as the anticipation has been quite high. He’s owned by a big syndicate and it’s great for them — they’ve been very excited. Today has been the goal all season and it’s come off. We’ve felt all along this was his race. We had to run here last time, even though we knew he wasn’t 100 per cent right. We knew he was going to improve hugely ahead of today and he’s gone and done it. I hope he’ll go on to be a graded horse. He is only a baby still and he jumps very well. It was a bold decision to go over fences when he had a very good hurdle career ahead of him, but he’s a chaser not a hurdler.

Elliott hails "star" Codd after National Hunt Chase win

It’s brilliant — Jamie gave him a great ride. I was worried about him staying, so we said we’d hunt away. I’m very lucky to have Jamie riding for me — he’s a star. He travelled brilliantly and I’m absolutely thrilled to have a winner after hitting the crossbar a couple of times. He’ll go straight to the Irish Grand National now.