Going - Yielding (Yielding to Soft after 1st race). Raining
Jackpot Pool - €5,000.00 Dividend - €460.50 Winning Units - 7.6. Placepot Pool - €27,858.99 Dividend - €94.70 Winning Units - 205.76. Pick Six Pool - €10,000.00 Dividend - €5,000.00 Winning Units - 1.4. Days Aggregate - €118,497.00 Last Year
Our Legend books his ticket for Cheltenham
He had a wind-op after Fairyhouse in December. I bit the bullet that day because he didn't get home. David said he made a little noise then so I got a small wind-op done on him. It's given him confidence now. He took a blow in Fairyhouse last Saturday and I was hoping it would put him right but I hate going back quick after last week. I took a chance, and it paid off, and the wind-op obviously worked a treat. He gets a penalty now for the Fred Winter. That might get him into it and if it does he'll go for it. If he doesn't get into that he might even go for the Triumph itself. He has a mark of 123 in England and I think he'll get a 5lb penalty. The handicapper was saying during the week that the cut-off would probably be 130 but 127 was the highest up until this year. If he's alright he'll definitely go for one race or the other.
Caravation makes all to land the odds
That was great. She's a decent mare and I was delighted with that. We've had an awful lot of seconds since Christmas and we just needed to get a winner before Cheltenham. I'd say he didn't go quick enough on her the last day and today she was very good. Maybe she's a little bit better going left-handed. It's hard to say as she only went once right-handed and won her point-to-point right-handed. He made it a good solid gallop today and she jumped well. She'll be a lovely mare to go chasing with down the road. I'm sure with William (Flood) and where she comes from he'll want a bit of black-type for her and I'm sure she'll try for that. She might have a break. She's a full-sister to Niche Market, the Irish National winner. He made it a good solid test today and that's what she wants. I'd say she might have been a bit fed-up running on good ground. She won her point-to-point in very heavy ground and we were just waiting a bit after Fairyhouse as it's very unusual ground. Today is probably the first day that there are actually getting their toe in.
Elliott works his magic on From Eden
Jack said he was very ring rusty up across the top and he just did what he had to do. We were lucky to get the horse. Hamish Macauley, an agent in England, bought him for someone else and they let him down. He had no-one for him, put him to me and I bought him. It was only by accident we got him and a big thanks has to go to him. We'll have a look with him now. He's in everywhere and we'll see. I couldn't see the handicapper giving him much because it was a bad race.
Jetz adds to family glory in Flyingbolt
That was grand. I only declared him when I saw there were so few in it. I thought it looked rather a hot race when I looked at it at the entry stage and I thought it was much too competitive. Robbie wasn't going to be able to be here either. I said we'd come when I saw there were only three there. Paul said he's very leery in front, and looks at everything, but he did it well. He said once he jumped the first fence he jumped super, very safe and a great jump in him. I don't know where he'll go. He's in at Cheltenham but I don't think he'll go there. The twice he's won this year has been here over two-one. We'll go two or two-and-a-half, whatever comes up.
Seskin Flyer on the mark again for Carey
He's so genuine and so good to jump that he's always in the shake-up. He goes on any ground and it's great to win again with him. I said to the lads today that he shouldn't be winning but he could win. There is a race for him in Thurles three weeks from today and he'll go for that. There should be a hurdle in him as well. He ran badly in Clonmel but he wasn't right that day.
Quirky Lilshane returns to form in style
He's not a bad oul divil when he's on his A-game. He's very unpredictable but today he was super. He jumped off lovely and didn't even look at us, we're delighted with him. We've an awful lot of work put into him since Thurles, getting him to ride out on his own and taking him to the fields on his own — it's paid off. I hope he stays with that kind of temperament now. I was down at the start myself but I'm too old to run anymore! That bit of rain helped as well. We badly need rain.
Midway wins Gigginstown Battle in the bumper
It's great to have an owner that doesn't mind running two!. I said to Eddie yesterday I want to run and he said 'then I would run him because I think the other lad is beatable'. I'd say that's it for the season now. I wouldn't think he'd run again. Mark said he felt he wasn't mad about the ground but I hope he's wrong!
