Going - Good, Good to Yielding in places. Fine, breezy
Jackpot Pool - 937.66 Dividend - 656.30 Winning Units - .15. Partial Carry Over of 798.47 to Roscommon on Tuesday 22nd August. Placepot Pool - 25,960.80 Dividend - 66.70 Winning Units - 272.43. Days Aggregate - 185,525.02 Last Year 224,654.16
Megarry puts it all together at Headquarters
I think I got it wrong with this fella a few times and he should have won his maiden before now. He has the experience and Gary sent him on good and early as we know he stays seven. It’s nice to win a maiden here and the prize money is very good. He was a little bit keen the last day and he’ll probably go on any ground.
Duplantis a work in progress but gets there under Roche
He’s mentally not cooked yet and is hard work. I thought Leigh did a fantastic job on him. I told him to take his time and ride him where he’s happy and if he can’t win off 66 I don’t need him!. We gelded him after his first run and we said we’re going to have to run this lad as he’s coming home stupider than he went to the races. He’s a work in progress. I thought potentially he wants seven furlongs and he did everything in his power to throw it away and still won. Simon (Madden) came to me years ago to be a jockey and I think I said to him 'my only advise to you is disappear and earn some money and come back to me as an owner' and he did! I can’t remember, but that’s what he tells me. He’s involved with his father-in-law and it’s their first winner so it’s nice.
Jon Riggens leads home 1-2 for Lynam in sprint handicap
Over the five on this sort of ground, especially the way the track is riding the last few days with the wind, he’s been struggling to make up the ground. I sent Dave Mason down to the gate with him today as he gets a bit buzzy with the open spaces here. When you ride them for luck it’s exactly what it says on the tin. If he hit the front a furlong down then I won’t use the jockey again and also he won’t finish in the first three. That’s the way he is. The other horse went out heart on his sleeve. I love both horses and it’s hard when one beats the other but at least one of them has won. They will come back here next month for the Bold Lad.
Asean's turn of foot brings home the Listed Curragh Stakes
Layfayette opens up a path to Irish Champions Festival
I was disappointed in Naas, but he had to get some treatment on his back and he needed time off and just got stuffy. He blew up in Naas. I know that was over a mile and a-half which stretches him a bit, but he’s an older horse and takes a bit of work. He loves this place. He loves the long straight and this place and Naas suits him well. In Group 2's and Group 3's he’s very competitive. He’ll probably go for the mile and a half race on Champions Weekend in Leopardstown if there is an ease in the ground. Gary (Carroll) said that Helvic Dream gave him a great feel and moved well. We might try and stretch him out to a mile and a-half because later in the year, on the ground that he wants, there are not that many races over a mile and a-quarter. There horses are very hard to find, you don’t come across them too often for reasonable money.
Progressive stayer Shamida has Group 1 aspirations
She was in Cork on Friday night but we withdrew her because of the ground. She’s a good actioned filly and would never want the ground too soft. I’d say she will have one more run this year and I’d say it will be the Prix Royallieu, it’s the Group 1 mile and six for fillies and mares. It’s kind of written for her. This is a very game, tough three-year-old. She’s an immature filly and I think she will improve. Two of the horses she faced today won at Royal Ascot and it was a very good trial. She’s a stayer with speed.
The Organiser pips his stablemate Nordic Passage
They are two nice sprinters. Nordic has lost his way but he’s shown signs on his last few runs. The Organiser is a new recruit in the yard and I’m still trying to figure him out. He’s getting quicker and physically starting to look like a sprinter. He was a little bit flat-footed last week and it was another home game here and I thought I’d roll the dice again and he’d learn more about sprinting. Wayne has caught my eye a few times and I rang Kevin O’Ryan (agent) on Tuesday and said I’d only run if Wayne was available as he had 10st7lb. He’s a good kid.
Brewel Hill stays on for McCullagh
He likes that ground and a fast pace. Scott said a mile going quick is good for him. These handicaps are so competitive and anything can win them. We’ll keep him at it as he only likes that good ground and find something similar. The ground has been drying out all day with that wind.