Going - Good, Good to Firm in places; changed to Good to Yielding after Race 1. Showery
Jackpot Pool - 4,168.02 Dividend - 1,363.30 Winning Units - 2.14. Placepot Pool - 76,734.67 Dividend - 4,609.60 Winning Units - 11.69. Days Aggregate - 523,667.82 Last Year 547,638.94
Big Gossey wins a second Bold Lad Handicap
O'Flynn flying with Blandford winner
Lumiere Rock was running consistently well in real good company all season. She was just beaten in Ascot and just beaten in France the last day. She really did deserve her win in Group 2 level and won today like a filly that will hold her own in Group 1 company as she gets older. She has two obvious targets for the autumn, one in France on Arc day and one in the fillies race in Ascot on British Champions Day. We’ll see how she pulls up and she’ll tell us which way we go. She’s an exciting filly and will hold her own in either of those two big races. we think that potentially she can win a Group 1, so whether that is later this year or next year she’s a very solid consistent filly. She’s a joy to train and I’m sure to own for Michael.
Moss Tucker completes his giant-killing feat
I'd say he had as much odds of winning today as Munster had of beating the All Blacks!. it’s fantastic to win on the Curragh on the most important weekend in Irish racing. It’s just been a great story with this horse how he has progressed and kept improving. You’re thinking if we got placed it would be a super effort and then the heavens opened about an hour and a half ago which helped us a good bit. I thought he got a superb ride, Billy was just brilliant on him and he had a willing partner. he was very good here the last day a month ago. We thought that was a career best and obviously this is another step in the right direction. He’s the kind of horse you would want to be going into battle with. We were having a quite time of it so to have a horse like him that can be competitive in these races — that’s what we all get up for in the morning.
Fallen Angel lands the Moyglare as Dettori bows out of Ireland
we bred her but lost the mother to colic. That’s the last foal out of the mother and she is the spitting image of her mother - 'emotional' is an understatement. My daughter names all our horses and after the death of the dam that’s why she’s called Fallen Angel. To win the Group 1 Moyglare Stakes is unbelievable.
Aidan O'Brien registers 4,000th winner
the pedigree of this horse is second to none. She (Minding) was the best mare we ever trained and by Dubawi was the best out-cross that she could go to. He travels and he quickens and that is very difficult for other horses to handle. We knew this horse (Henry Longfellow) had run a couple of weeks ago and his mam handled the ground no problem. Everyone has been very happy with him and he looks a very special horse. His mam won over a mile, a mile and a quarter and a mile and a half. It’s very possible (that could be his last run this season) but we’ll see. City Of Troy hadn’t run for a good while and was going to improve from the run. Sometimes in that ground they can have a hard time. He would die on his feet for you today and we didn’t want to do that to him once the ground turned. I had said to the lads that we wouldn’t run City Of Troy on soft ground. We took a chance in Newmarket and got away with it. He’s too beautiful a mover. Ryan was adamant that it was closer to soft than good to yielding.
Landmark Leger win for local lad Egan
He had a setback coming here for the St Leger Trial so the boss (Varian) played it safe and took him home to make sure he'd be alright and it was a blessing in disguise. He has a tendency to miss the break but but the race went so smooth, he was a race-fit horse today and was as tough as nails. I'm delighted he got his day. My first main job was riding out for Willie McCreery, who I saw today, and he was a great man to learn from. I was probably spoiled riding out of my granddad (Dessie Hughes) on the yard's hack but Willie gave me a lot of experience and taught me a lot. This win means so much. it’s a big thrill to win a race like the Irish St Leger and I’m delighted to get Eldar Eldarov winning again. He’s ran some great races in defeat this year and it’s nice to win two Legers. He’s entered up in France on Arc weekend and there is the two-mile race at Ascot - we might consider Ascot. He seems to be really best at a mile and six furlongs but there aren’t too many of those races around. He deserves to run one more time this year and its most likely Ascot. David has been with us since he was 15 or 16 and he’s done really well. He’s come up through the ranks and he’s taken his opportunities. I’m delighted for him and he gave him a very straight forward uncomplicated ride today.
Native American to follow Wootton Bassett-trail
I thought he was workmanlike but did it well in the end to be fair. He grew (since his last run, and win, in May) and just wasn’t scoping great so I couldn’t get stuck into him but he’s done plenty of cantering and we were pleased with him. I’m sure he will improve again. He’s quite a nice horse, we do like him but he’s a work in progress. The jockey felt the ground was just dead enough for him and felt he wanted better ground. we won some sales races with Wootton Bassett (now standing at Coolmore for a €150,000 stud fee) and he ended up winning the (Group 1) Prix Lagardere. That was in my mind before the race so we’ll see how he is and decide whether he goes or not.
Champion Keane completes final races double
in the Cambridgeshire it looked like he came to win but it just didn’t work out. I thought it was a more competitive race today. I think Colin rode him a bit further back but it worked out anyway. He’s a good horse and has really come to hand. I’m not sure whether he will have another race or a break. We’ll hardly be going hurdling for a while! We were thinking of schooling him over the winter but we’ll see how it goes. we previously won the Cambridgeshire and the Ahonoora (Handicap), with Laughifuwant, but prizemoney-wise that is our biggest win.