Going - Yielding to Soft, Soft in places. Blustery and showery
Placepot Pool - 15,164.19 Dividend - 1,119.70 Winning Units - 9.48. Quadpot Pool - 2,162.04 Dividend - 37.00 Winning Units - 43.18. Days Aggregate - 75,141.61 (8 races). Last Year 57,501.00 (7 races).
Statuaire blows away opposition in Downpatrick opener
A good winner. The (morning price) favourite (Showbusiness) looked to have decent form coming into the race and I was happy with that performance. It backs up her first run where she was second in a Listed race in France. Hopefully she will keep building on that. She was a little keen but she hadn't run for the best part of a year and it was a bit of freshness more so than anything else. She galloped when it mattered so that is most important.
Square collects on handicap debut
Lady lunges late to spring shock
Piper leads them home
. We kind of only needed to use his jumping from the third last home. We were saving all the way and he was good. In fairness to him, the horse came to him going to the last and he pulled out again and he was tough all the way to the line. That bit of rain did no harm, everything suited today. I started out with Tom Mullins and he was great to me and gave me three quick winners on the track. He's very good to me and lets me ride most of his horses. I got asked to go to England and I went and gave it a go for a couple of weeks, but I'm more of a home bird and I'm happy in Tom Mullins' and that's where I will continue to stay.
Dynamic strikes at Downpatrick again
She did it well. After the run last week, he dropped her down to 102 over hurdles so it was an opportunity to have a go at it and see. It worked out grand. She has won around here before; she seems to handle it alright. We'll look again for something similar and see what happens. She will stay over fences; her pedigree would suggest she is a chaser rather than a hurdler. She's an eight-year-old but we have just been minding her. She did have a wee bit of trouble with her wind, and had a wind op and it seems to have maybe helped her a little bit. Chasing is her game with her pedigree and whatever. She travelled lovely through the race today.
Cory collects for Flanagan and de Bromhead
Sod proves too strong for hunter rivals
I really enjoyed that because he was very unlucky not to win in Fairyhouse. I think the fall took quite a lot out of him. He's such a tough horse like all Asks. We thought he was in great form going to Punchestown and Barry said he just wasn't himself. He has been at the highest level the whole year coming up from nothing. He's had to learn his trade against the very top horses so today it was just camera work all round. He's a tremendously tough horse and I'm just delighted for Kieran Mahon and Noel Keenan (owners) down below in Roscommon and they can't get up to see him. They are small men and they have got some kick out of this horse. I tell you they will still be partying at 10am tomorrow morning!. We didn't think beyond today. If it stayed wet, we might have a look at Listowel and, if it doesn't, he'll go to grass.
Light springs 20/1 shock in Downpatrick bumper