Going - Chase: yielding. Hurdle: yielding to soft.. Overcast
Jackpot Pool - €3,881.16 Dividend - €178.50 Winning Units - 15.23. Placepot Pool - €21,744.72 Dividend - €13.00 Winning Units - 1164.86. Days Aggregate - €89,150.19 Last Year €95,389.94
The Goffer opens his account over fences
He liked the better ground a lot better and jumped a lot better there today. He had a good run when he won a Grade 3 hurdle here last March. We'll try and find a little winners' race somewhere now and he is qualified for a handicap mark now so we'll see where we go.
Artic Ambition justifies favouritism for inform connections
He looked well handicapped, the boys (Go Go Go Partnership) picked him out and he is something to look forward to. We'll have a bit of fun under both codes (chase and hurdle) with him. Jack is riding great and I'm delighted for all the boys who are friends of mine and come from all over Ireland.
3 from 3 for rampant Elliott & Kennedy at Thurles
He is going the right way and I thought it was a good performance. He had a leg injury but is very tough and that is what he was bought to do, so it is great. I have a few ideas in my head and he could run in a handicap hurdle at Navan. He stays very well, you'd like the way he does it and while he doesn't show much at home, he keeps improving.
Sainte Dona routs the opposition for the Coopers
The plan was to jump out and make it. She might have got a bit of a freebie but still she kept going and won 25 lengths. She had plenty left and started to idle a bit and the third-last being taken out didn't help either. We knew the step up in trip was a big thing to her and she is a real staying mare, by a great sire. She is crying out for a fence and would definitely get blacktype over fences but whether or not she'll get it over hurdles I don't know. There aren't a lot of staying races for novice mares for her but we could see what handicap mark she gets as that could be another option. I actually got a present of her from Andrew Brooks who had plenty horses in pre-training with me but was pulling the plug and left me the mare.
L'or Des Roses provides Harvey family with another success
It is great to see him back up the Cork win. We took our time with him and waited for better ground and you're nearly guaranteed it here. He is such a lovely horse to ride and is a pleasure to deal with. I got things my own way out in front, I was able to steady it up and filled him up everywhere I could. He is so easy to ride and you can do those sort of things on him. We haven't tried him on soft ground but he's not over big and moves well on good ground. Hopefully there will be more days to come with him, he has point to point form so we might go chasing after Christmas. I'm based with John McConnell and ride out for Pat Doyle and Brian Hamilton one day a week. I am thinking about turning professional and can ride at 10st6lb but have to talk to a few people about it first.
Boghlone Honey very much on an upward curve for Cusack
She has a little nick on her tendon now which I'm worried about to be honest and we mightn't see her for a while unfortunately. It was unfortunate what happened at Naas the last day (unseated rider at the first) but she came on from Sligo, she felt very well and I was very happy with her at home. It was more competitive than Sligo and she did it well today. John (Murray) is from Offaly, is based in Boston and is supporting me well. She is a nice mare for him.
Il Etait Temps stamps his class at 1/7
He was entitled to do that but I managed to get one beaten at 1/10 in one of these races before! . He was very relaxed out in front and wasn't really concentrating when he made the mistake at the first but we were racing down to the last and winged that one. He is much more mature and relaxed this year and I think he'll jump better when he is amongst horses. Last year he looked like a solid Grade 2 horse so I'd like to think he could turn into a Supreme or Ballymore Novices Hurdle horse - that's the dream anyway. Usually juveniles can step out in distance and once he settles, I think he can go out in trip.
