Going - Yielding, good to yielding in places. Overcast
Jackpot Pool - 6,954.27 Dividend - 15.10 Winning Units - 320.63. Placepot Pool - 81,274.28 Dividend - 48.20 Winning Units - 1178.44. Days Aggregate - 684,824.37 Last Year 524,832.37
Fr Gilligansvoyge's form stands up to win the Cup
Punchestown races is always a big deal for us. Richard (Farrell, owner) was at school with me, many years ago, and we've been friends ever since. I've had seven horses for himself and his late father over the years but we never had any luck and unfortunately Dick passed away about 18 months ago. It's nice to win in the end. He dead-heated (in Borris House) with the horse (Three By Two) that won the Ladies Cup on Tuesday. You don't like shouting too loud, but we were quietly confident. Richard lives in Bishopscourt House in Kill where the Cup originated from, with the Kennedy family, back in 1880.
Kilcruit in his comfort zone to win at Punchestown
Sensational Impervious caps 'perfect season'
She's been an absolute revelation and it's amazing how much she has improved from run to run. She's stronger now than she was on any day during the year. She has loads of options and we can dream away for the summer. She can go up or down in trip, it doesn't matter to her. She's just a proper one. I'm sure JP (McManus) and Frank (Berry) will have a plan for her and she'll slot in with the rest of theirs. We're more than happy to go along with that. She seems to be settling better, she's not as hard on herself and she's making life easier for everyone. Every year when you come back here after Cheltenham you are afraid of what mark Cheltenham has left on them. On the evidence there she seems to be getting better. Hopefully she'll keep improving, she's learning a lot and settled better today. Without getting in trouble she's a typical woman, she's pretty high maintenance!. She's pure genuine and she'll do her best for you. Without an exaggeration she would go through a wall for you. If you pointed her at it there is no doubt she'd take it on for you. . You don't come across too many of them too often but when you do they are pretty special and she seems to be one of those. It's nice to have her and it's nice pressure to have. It's nice to come here rather than going for an 80-95 down the country.
State Man rules roost to bring up Mullins/Townend double
Paul said if nothing was going on he'd make his own running and keep it simple. He just missed the last, but Paul said with where he would have had to stand off he just let him fiddle it instead. That's what you want in a hurdler when they are too far back, to go in and fiddle it. He's done enough for the season. We'll freshen him up now and get him back to do the same things next season, I hope. I can't really see him going over fences, I'd say he'll be a hurdle horse. I don't know whether I need to go out in trip with him. He's a horse that still has improvement in him.
Impaire Et Passe works at it for Mullins/Townend treble
He didn't impress me at all, I was delighted he won, but throughout the race he wasn't impressing me. He looked like he wasn't enjoying it and maybe Cheltenham took much more out of him than we thought. At home he was on fire and maybe I did too much with him because he was going so well. It's hard to say something went wrong when you win by seven-and-a-half lengths. Maybe he loves the hill in Cheltenham, he just got going up the hill whereas today is a Flat track. I'll have a quick chat with Paul later on and see what he thought. Turning for home I wouldn't have backed him, so to win after that just means that he has a huge engine but he wasn't really in love with what he was doing today, whether it was the ground or what I don't know. I think we'll freshen him up now. I was thinking maybe of going to France but I won't, I think I'll just put him away.
O'Connor seen to terrific effect on Its On The Line
He doesn't make life easy, but there is an engine in there somewhere,. Derek was great. We knew he can be a bit leery at times and I said to Derek bounce out and go forward. Derek said there was a loose horse at the third last and, once that passed him, he came back on the bridle. He just needs a bit of a lead, but he's a relentless stayer too. It's just trying to get it all to come together and it did today. It's brilliant for the college, Cistercian College, where I went to school and had great memories. It's special to be able to share that today with them. There is loads of ability there and it's just a matter of getting it out of him. He wouldn't do much in front on his own, but Derek was wise to Barry's moves. We gave him a sighter everywhere and it definitely told in the finish. He's only six and to be doing what he's doing in this field, he could rack up a few in this field but we'll see. Time will tell.
Monbeg Park wins nicely under Slevin
He got a lovely ride, he travelled into it lovely and he was very impressive. Hopefully we'll have a nice horse to go over fences next year. He had a little problem and we couldn't sell him, but we're getting a right run out of him and hopefully next year we'll get another bit of fun. He's very big and he'll have to come on for jumping a fence.
Byrnes getting a taste for the bumper on day four
He had a great run the last day in Clonmel, but we were a bit concerned the ground today wasn't soft enough for him. The two-miles-two helped and he gave him a brilliant ride. We were a bit worried about the form of the horses in it, it looked to be a good bumper. I think he'll be a better horse in heavy ground. He'll be a nice horse for novice hurdling next year, two-and-a-half miles in soft ground.