Going - Yielding. Overcast
Jackpot Pool - €56,410.12 Dividend - €208.40 Winning Units - 189.4. Placepot Pool - €107,159.03 Dividend - €94.70 Winning Units - 791.63. Pick Six Pool - €134,626.39 Dividend - €6,499.20 Winning Units - 14.5. Days Aggregate - €923,012.00 Last Year €738,881.00
3 Bishopscourts for Shin A Vee
That's great. I train just five minutes away from the track and Martin (Kennelly, owner) is just two minutes further away, so it's a local trainer and owner,. They do a fantastic job here. I walked the track an hour before racing and it was in phenomenal condition. He won well last year but I thought he was better this year and really up for it. We knew he was in good form and pretty fit. He's 13 now and obviously it's a concern coming here as he's a year older and with a 5lb penalty but in fairness to him he came back in better nick. It was the same as last year. We had one day in mind and it worked last year. He's a horse that works well at home and you can get enough into him.
Avant defies top-weight in style
That was a good performance for a novice to carry top-weight in a handicap,. It possibly looked a Galway Plate performance to me and we might aim him at that now. There was so much crowding there and Paul said he nearly got wiped out three from home. After coming through that he shouldn't have any problem with the hustle and bustle of Galway. He won last summer and we'll keep him going. Everytime I put them away it's hard to get them back for Galway. He handles good and soft ground so the ground wouldn't be an issue. The one issue is that he's rated 145 so he'll get five or seven for that and I don't know the last horse to win a Galway Plate off a mark of 150. We'll have to look at the stats. It will either be that or we will put him by for the Hennessy. He might have left Galway behind winning that. I think there is another good race in him.
More joy for Elliott and Kennedy
She had a nice light weight and Jack have her a great ride,. She liked the bit better ground. It's drying out and that helped. She's tough and has her job done now. She'll keep going. We'll enjoy today and see what happens.
Mag achieves a career high
Everything we do with her, she just does it. She's a very easy ride and an old pet at home. Jackie rides her everyday. She has a lot of natural ability,. She did a spectacular piece of work before Cheltenham and we were left wondering did we supplement the right mare for the Champion Hurdle. She can go any road now. She's good enough to run in the Champion Hurdle races and she's good enough to run over fences at any level. We had just been keeping her in the mares races and climbing the ladder and getting confidence. We didn't intend to run here and yesterday's race was the target. We thought going to Cheltenham she was better than we had thought initially. We thought we'd be coming back here for the three miler but when Annie Power wasn't right we let her take her chance here. My Tent Or Yours and Identity Thief are Champion Hurdle material. If she had got beat we would have been wrong about her. The plan had been to go for the Prix Barka but we'll probably keep her for next season now.
Cromwell's Girl sparkles again
That's amazing and the atmosphere here is electric,. She was very good and Barry said she loved the ground. I was certain she had improved from Fairyhouse. She had strengthened and come in her coat. It was a bit of a step into the unknown against the geldings, even though she was getting the weight allowances. She's all heart. She might have been a little bit keen early on. I'll have to chat to Barry as I was watching it out on the track and with the light couldn't really see the screen. I don't know what the plans are now. I'll have to talk to Frank and JP. She stays two-and-a-half miles and will get three in time. So I'd say she'll go up in trip. There are some right mares out there at the minute with Apple's Jade, Vroum Vroum Mag and Annie Power.
Koshari makes it three for Mullins
He was very green. I just wanted to get a run into him to see what we had before we put him out. He doesn't look too bad,. I don't know how good or bad he is but he looks a nice model and of course he's by Walk In The Park. He's not four until the end of May. He'll probably stay hurdling next season rather than go chasing.
A double the Punchestown Comment for J P
When I wanted him he pulled out great. He's a Kayf Tara so he liked the nice ground. He has a lovely attitude and he settled away brilliant. He's obviously improved from his run over hurdles and I'm grateful to have gotten the ride on him. J P was kind enough to send him to us in the autumn,. He was second in a bumper at Ludlow to a horse of Nicky Henderson's who he felt was good enough to go to Cheltenham afterwards. Then he was a good second over hurdles. I think Jamie was more confident than I was. It was important not to hit the front too early as he's green. He'll go straight down to Martinstown now for his summer holidays.
Punchestown goes wild for On The Fringe
Enda (Bolger, winning trainer) had him in some form. He's the people's horse now and the crowd went mad when he won. At least I wasn't injured (suspended when he won at Aintree) and Jamie did a great job on him that day. I'm just delighted to be back on him today. It's all down to the horse. He's just a brilliant horse to have around,. I'm a bit emotional as I always think of John Thomas. He's a special horse for us. This is the one the pressure was on but we knew he was bouncing and everyone worked hard to get him here. Let's party now!. Him and Nina have a great rapport. She knows what to do and they trust each other. His jumping was faultless. Full marks to Nina and to Sarah who looks after him at home and to John Thomas who rode him here in his first Champion Hunters.
