Going - Good, Good To Yielding In Places. Overcast
Jackpot Pool - 5,868.74 Dividend - 327.80 Winning Units - 17. Placepot Pool - 18,785.64 Dividend - 26.00 Winning Units - 504.47. Pick Six Pool - 10,000.00 Dividend - 7,000.00 Winning Units - .3. Days Aggregate - 183,945.00 Last Year 236,241.00
Lyons' newcomer grasps his Opportunity
That's grand. He was green and today's race was about qualifying him, giving him experience and hopefully winning on route to the sales race on Champions Weekend. He has breezed but that's the first time I have galloped him on grass. He has a great temperament. The negative is that we've won with a few Dandy Mans first time and they haven't done much after that but the positive is that he's a nice horse and has a great temperament. He's been trained with the sales race in mind and that's the next target.
Lyons and Keane double up in the claimer
I agree with these claimers. I don't think these horses, when you add in the prize-money, would make the same money in the horse-in-training sales. If I support them, like I have last year as well, and people see them coming from our yard isn't it good business. Other than that you end up accumulating them in the yard. I need horses that can win and if they can't win this is a lovely out and we can move on to the next one. I think we should support races like this. I think he's a good quality horse for a race like that, as was the horse last night. Somebody will win a couple of races with him and drop him back into a claimer. I just think that's the way the system should work and I've no problem with that. The horse last night will go into a claimer in two weeks time again.
Well-bred Ridenza an exciting prospect for Halford
Forest makes winning return
I was happy that she went and won the way she did,. She had a couple of nice runs under her belt. She had a small setback, was just ready to start back so that's great. She has a good pedigree and we definitely think she has the ability to run in stakes race at some stage. She's entered in the Fairy Bridge in two weeks time and we'll see. I'm delighted that she's gone and won, it was important that she did, and I'm very thankful to the owners who have sent me some nice horses. It's great that the first one has won.
Madhmoon all set for Champion after Desmond win
He did it well. The run will do him good because he's fairly burly looking,. He'll come on a lot and the Champion Stakes is his next outing. After that if he puts up a good show he'll go to Ascot for the Champion Stakes there. We'll see how he gets on here first. I thought he did it well. He stumbled out of the gate and just got a little bit unbalanced in the first furlong then he settled in and raced nicely after that. He travelled well, quickened up well and won without a smack.
Nam stays on best under Sheridan
He should have won in Killarney but he got left eight lengths. Leigh (Roche) said he was very unlucky as he got checked in his run. We said he'd win in Galway so we pooled all our resources in that and he didn't get in. We would have got in the last day but it was a last minute thing and he was drawn in Oranmore and the ground was cutting up so I didn't go. The young lad was good on him. He talked a good game in the parade ring beforehand and we said of he rides half as well as he talks we'll have a right chance. He rode him well and I was delighted with the ride he gave him because he's not an easy ride. He gave him a nice ride. We'll see what the handicapper does and he could even go hurdling if we wanted to.
Winiata another winner for in-form Murtagh
It's great to get a winner for the most important owner in the yard. She's tough and she's hardy. She's been running well in her last couple of races. I thought she was a miler but it looks like she's going to stay well. Niall said she got the mile-and-a-quarter really well today, battled it out, and she'll get a mile-and-a-half no problems. She's won two now, she's paid her way, and we'll see what the handicapper does. That was a nice pot, for fillies only, and we'll give it another shot again.