Going - Soft. Fine
Placepot Pool - 14,854.81 Dividend - 1,564.30 Winning Units - 6.64. Quadpot Pool - 2,009.96 Dividend - 7.40 Winning Units - 199.7. Days Aggregate - 130,657.00 Last Year 299,709.00
Different Strokes wins on rules debut
We ran him in point-to-points and he was very consistent but wasn't a point=to-pointer. We threw him in here out of curiosity and it killed the cat didn't it!. He is a nice type, jumps and travels and that's the first time he got a bit of nice ground.
First Touch for his backers in Clonmel
He ran well enough the last day at Navan when he had a chance jumping the second last but didn't get home. He won his point-to-point well on nice-ish ground in the autumn and it obviously suited him better today. Conditions of the race suited him too and he'll go handicapping now. He is owned by David Murphy from Fermoy.
Stormin' Norman Tipping Away against the favourite
There was a 4/5 shot in the race but we go by the line 'don't be afraid of one horse' and I told the owner we are going to have a go and take them on from the word go. Simon gave him a great ride because he was nearly taken out but sat well and did well to get his stirrup back. I told him bounce out and I support those jockeys that do what they're told. He loves soft ground and we'll go for a novice next, and he'll go chasing next season.
It's Joeswayornoway in Clonmel
I don't know why she was such a big price - I thought she'd be favourite!. She is a grand, honest little mare and had a great run in a maiden hurdle, which worked out well, in Naas. I thought coming here today she'd have a right chance after her last run here. She is in a handicap on Sunday - I put her in just in case she would win, and she'll run if she's well. She's not a real summer mare and would like soft ground. I was looking for a 7lb claimer and asked Ruaidhri Tierney (jockeys' agent) and he recommended Philip who now rides out for me once a week. Philip is freelancing, with Edward O'Grady and John Ryan, and he rode that horse well, he did what he was asked and there was no more he could do.
A plan comes together for Princely Conn
I love it when a plan comes together!. He came back this season after a long lay-off and I suppose it has taken all those runs to get him back to fitness being a veteran and knowing the game. That was a two-stone worse race than the one he ran in the last day and Jack (Foley) who rode him said he wasn't fit enough and said he blew up at the third last. I had seen horses being dropped (on hurdle ratings by the handicapper) to get into these races in the past and this race fitted him really well. J.P. (McManus) is beyond patient and I don't believe there is a more generous man out there although sometimes he has more faith in them than I or anyone else has. It's great that he stuck in.
Robin Des Foret back on the winning trail
Dysart Dynamo powers Mullins to a double
It is a great family, and the Mannings' bred him and own him. He is a big, big baby and that's why I was quite keen to take a lead for the first bit and get him to settle and relax. To look at him he is a three-mile chaser on soft ground. If we get nice ground for him he could go for a winners' bumper and I think there's lots of improvement in him.