Townend shines again in Fairyhouse opener

The pilot was very good again, as he usually is. It looked like they went very hard, Paul dropped her in got her relaxed and came with one run. . Obviously he just got there and I thought it was a brilliant ride. I don't know what way it would have gone if the horse (Boher Road, clear when exiting spectacularly three out) didn't run out but she's improving. . I'd imagine she'll go to Punchestown and you'll probably see her through the summer as well, she should go on better ground as well.

Bottler'secret extends winning sequence

He's a lovely straightforward horse. He races lazily which you'd love in a horse coming off the Flat. He jumped really well there today. The cheekpieces just helped him travel a little bit better. He was behind the bridle a lot the last day. He went to the line really well and hopefully there is more to come. I wouldn't say he has to have it this soft, I'd say on the Flat it was important because he probably just lacked a gear.

Fahey's mare enhances good course record

It's great as we haven't had a great run over the winter, a lot of our horses were under a cloud and just weren't performing. We thought she worked nicely the other morning, herself and Boher Road together. He was giving us a nice run until he decided to exit! That gave us a little bit of confidence that she was back somewhere near her best again. She was second in a Grade 1 at this meeting last year. Since she got her summer break she hasn't been firing and she's just coming back to herself now. We'll probably stick to handicap company for Punchestown. It's great to get her back in front again and back running the way she can run. . Aidan kicked on a long way out. We were a bit worried when Oliver McKiernan's horse (Kilbree Warrior) came out as that is normally the pacesetter. . She was starting to hit a bit of a flat spot in her races so we put the cheekpieces on and she travelled a bit better than she has been. They were just going too steady so it backfired a little bit on us as we had to push the pace on ourselves rather than being brought along. She is game and genuine and stayed at it well. It was a brilliant ride by Aidan, very similar to what he did in the Grade 1 last year. We didn't have Ashroe Diamond catching us down the straight today.

Murphy bags Irish win with Storm

I enjoyed that! He's a very good horse on his day and he's only good once a year, if that makes sense. He really turned up today and I thought he just outstayed Willie's horse from the back of the last. Ireland has been a brilliant place for me, I spent five fantastic years here. I learned an awful lot off Gordon (Elliott) and watched Jack grow up to be the man he is today, I watched him ride his first winner. Coming over and taking on the best of the Irish, the way national hunt racing is at the moment on both sides of the Irish Sea, it was something I always wanted to do — train a winner over here. I really enjoyed that, Ireland has been a very good place for me and to come back and have a big winner here is magic. I probably came over due to the lack of opportunities on our side of the sea. It's hard to win anywhere, it's hard to win in England let alone here. I enjoyed that as much as any winner I've trained.

Journey back on track at Fairyhouse

Intense Raffles rises to the occasion in Irish National

MacDermott relishes step up to three miles

He's been running over trips that were too short for him but we couldn't find races for him. Today was the first time he got his ground and trip. He's a horse that I'd be really looking forward to going over extended trips in the future, in some of the those bigger handicaps. . He could be an Irish National horse or one for Aintree, any of those extended races.

Redemption Day back to his best under Townend

He's had his problems but he's coming right now, even on ground he didn't like there.