Going - Soft (changed from Yielding after race 3). Overcast, raining
Placepot Pool - 14,712.27 Dividend - 389.80 Winning Units - 26.42. Quadpot Pool - 2,621.98 Dividend - 78.30 Winning Units - 24.77. Days Aggregate - 74,888.34 Last Year 83,138.00
First win for White Pepper
she very much deserved that as she has been banging on the door. The handicapper put her up to a mark of 80 and I thought he was a little bit unkind to her. I thought she would struggle in a handicap on 80 but I'm delighted she won today. She is a grand filly, she deserved it because she tries hard. She had tonnes of experience. We have no immediate plan for her, but she has schooled over hurdles and she will probably jump a hurdle at some stage.
Carroll completes Tramore double
Galileo-sired colt off the mark at Tramore
Patiently ridden pointer gives Cromwell a double
I thought he had left her with too much to do but he said they went quick. I thought at the bottom of the hill that she wasn't going to get there but in fairness she dug deep. She is very versatile and has even won a point-to-point. She hasn't won a chase on the track yet but I think she will. Her owners (the Mick & Molly Syndicate) are from the Bellewstown area and there is a handicap hurdle in Bellewstown that she could potentially run in, but she is just not certain to get in.
Gee Rex leads Emmet Mullins trained '1-2'
he (Gee Rex) has been disappointing over hurdles and has been slow out of the stalls. Both of those things were out of the way today - they were two big things that were holding him back. It was great to come here and get that opportunity and take advantage of it. I told him to make the running but they went a fair gallop early doors and Mike was good to just take a lead for as long as he could. He got to the front then and just battled off all comers. It was a good run from Zero Ten in second under a big weight.
McNamaras on the mark with Groveman
we thought the track would suit him, he has made the running before and it suited him. Going through the race we didn't see another front-runner and we thought we might be able to steal it from the front. It doesn't always work but it did today. He was in great form and was very fit. He was only beaten four lengths in Galway in a very competitive race, so we thought coming here that he had his chance.
Last-to-first as rider Rutledge lands the last
Siobhan kept her good and wide and she got as fresh a ground as there is out there and is seemed to pay off. I think she just jammed on the brakes at the start - she is not ungenuine but might be a touch claustrophobic. We bought her thinking she'd be dual-purpose but the hurdling hasn't quite worked out. I'm not saying we will never go back to it but she just backs off her hurdles a little bit. She got a cut the last day she ran over hurdles so I wasn't sure if she was fit enough or not, but the way she went on up the hill she definitely was. It was a lovely performance.