Going - Good. Overcast
Jackpot Pool - 300.65 Dividend - 210.50 Winning Units - .18. Placepot Pool - 17,939.19 Dividend - 44.90 Winning Units - 279.57. Days Aggregate - 95,737.17 Last Year 79,731.16
Chart Topper is a hit in Downpatrick's opener
Keith (Donoghue, on In The Trenches) set a good gallop putting his experience to use but that suited me. He came out of my hands at the first but after that popped away lovely. He's more inclined to pop than have a crack at them. I could see Keith's horse jumping and hanging a bit left all the way and once he has hung off the home bend, has given us a great split. I think he has plenty of scope to chase; those Walk In The Park's are very natural jumpers and Pink In The Park (Chart Topper's dam) won her beginners' chase so he'll jump a fence no problem. He is very clever rather than brave but there's nothing wrong with that. His work at home was very good and we were hugely disappointed until now; we thought he would be winning at the Punchestown Festival but maybe jumping has improved him. I'd like to see him go up in trip and think he would probably be fairly versatile regarding ground, although I'm not sure he is a real middle of winter horse.
Sundancer scores for Shark & Son
we are after having I think 35 placed horses (including fourth-placed finishers) in the last 45 days and we had only one or two winners. This horse has stepped forward from his run at Wexford and I'd say the little cut in the ground helped. He didn't settle in Wexford so I put the hood on him and it made an awful difference. I thought Paddy was good on him - when they were all going for home, he stayed sitting and gave him every chance to fill up his lungs.
'Work-in-progress' Intense Approach rewards McConnell's patience
It has been painful! Going from his bumper wins and the way he works at home, it has been a calamity. He is a work-in-progress regarding his jumping. He has been very slow to learn and Ger Fox schooled him at the weekend and Ger couldn't believe how he hadn't got the hang of it. When he left him alone at a hurdle, he still needs a lot of help. It is a mental thing with him and hopefully he is switched on now. I told Alex to be very definite with what he wanted him to do at each hurdle - either to go short or to go long. It will come and that might boost his confidence. He has the engine there if he put it all together that he could turn into a really nice horse, but it is great to get that over with.
Hanlon bags two, with Portnacoo
Prairie Dancer wins a thriller in Downpatrick
Collins' Calahill gains debut chase win
I thought maybe 2m6f is his trip but thought they weren't getting home out there today, so hoped it might work out in his favour (over 2m3f). He's a very important horse because he is the lead horse at home, he leads out all our young horses and gave Connor Bowman, who led him up today, his first winner at Ballingarry (point-to-point, in May). The plan had been to go back point-to-pointing but he's after winning now so we'll keep him for the track.
Jockey Owens registers first chase win