Going - Good to Yielding. Overcast
Jackpot Pool - 774.64 Dividend - 288.40 Winning Units - 1.88. Placepot Pool - 20,275.32 Dividend - 15.60 Winning Units - 906.33. Days Aggregate - 164,452.61 Last Year 146,496.45
Gozen surges home to grab favourite in Punchestown
She's a lovely filly. I thought plenty of her at home. Eddie Ahern had her at the breeze-ups with a few other lads, Mark Landers is still involved in her. They liked her a lot, bought her back at the breeze-ups and sent her to me to see if I liked her and if I'd be interested in buying her. That's how I came to acquire her. She's done everything right at home, she's a big filly and was the biggest filly in the ring by a long way. Everything she does this year will be a bonus. She did things quite wrong in the race, she was a step slow and was plenty keen early. When he pulled her out to go and quicken she just ran around a bit out of greenness. He said she hit the line strong and took plenty of pulling up. I'm delighted with her and she will improve a lot. On her homework she's definitely a stakes filly, with some of the horses she's working with. First time out they can do things wrong and get themselves beaten, but she's managed to do things wrong and win. Fingers crossed she'll keep on improving and she'll get a mile in time no problem.
O'Callaghan and Roche double up with Rothko
We got him from the same sale as the filly (Gozen), Tattersalls Ireland breeze-up at Fairyhouse,. He came out of Tally Ho (Stud), a place we've found plenty of good horses before. He's a fine big horse and he's just improved all year. He saw the mile out well. Leigh just said he went for his girth, took a blow, quickened again and took a lot of pulling up. We liked him at home, I thought it was a good maiden on paper beforehand. He went plenty wide into the straight, he just got bumped out a little bit. Things didn't go ideally but he has enough ability to go and win. He saw the mile out there and I think he's a good horse. It was very impressive the way he galloped through the line and he took plenty of pulling up and handles an ease. He got an entry in the (Group 1) Vertem Futurity a couple of weeks ago, we do like him and think he'll improve plenty.
Band Width enjoys the mile in Punchestown
It's not too often I stand in the number one spot at Punchestown!. Declan (McDonogh) gave him a great ride. The horse came out of the Gowran race well. He needed every yard of that, so we were fairly confident of getting the mile. He had won over six at Sligo. Things worked out well, Declan got a nice possy, travelled around really well and got there and actually won quite snug enough in the end. It all went to plan, I just left it to him. That's the way he decided to ride him and it worked out well. We have options now, he can certainly get the mile and can handle most ground but he doesn't want it really heavy. He got caught out in Galway on really heavy ground. I think he would handle Dundalk but there are a couple of months left in the season yet and hopefully that could get him into some nice handicaps.
McDonogh at double on Goodie Two Shoes
Saturn Five seals O'Brien's brace
No panicking from Miramis today as she storms home
I think her head gets in the way a bit. We got her palate done and I think that's maybe made the difference, she's not panicking the way she was. She never made a noise but I just went and did it and I'm delighted with her. She was waiting in the wings for a bit of ease in the ground. It was a good racing style for her today and a lovely big galloping track for her. It's not that the horses have been running bad, because they haven't and some horses have run up to the rating that they are. We're just down on runners because of the ground. Now I'll have run out of an excuse, that's the only problem!. We have six runners on Thursday and I haven't had six runners for I don't know how long.
Roche backers in clover after massive-priced treble
Joey Tormey bought the horse and he passed away a few weeks ago, he was Conor's dad and he'd be an uncle of Andrew Lynch. He runs in the Donaghmore/Ashbourne colours, the green and white, and Joey was chairman of our GAA club. Conor was Meath GAA chairman. I have four in training, two for the Flat and two for jumping and we have a few point-to-pointers. That's my first Flat winner so I'm delighted. Thanks to Niall McCullagh, he rode him the last day and he recommended an ease in the ground and a further trip and cheekpieces. That all came into play today. Niall liked him and thought those things would make a huge difference. Going forward, he does need even softer ground. Navan is the next plan if we get an ease in the ground.
St Cianans has Fire in his belly
It's good to reward the owner for his patience with me and the horse,. He's been a very immature horse, mentally and physically. We knew he was coming right but we needed a little bit of ease in the ground, we've been waiting for it. He's probably a horse that can improve again, hopefully, and keep going forward. He always showed us something, but it was just little niggles and immaturity. Fair play to Simon (Condron, owner) he's been very patient and loyal to me so I'm delighted.