Going - NH: Good Flat: Good to Yielding. Overcast
Jackpot Pool - 7,275.64 Dividend - 5,092.90 Winning Units - .94. Placepot Pool - 50,006.78 Dividend - 104.10 Winning Units - 336.06. Days Aggregate - 631,836.91 (7 races). Last Year 264,220.00 (8 races).
Flaming Moon rises to the challenge
He always showed plenty. He won a couple on the Flat and he had some nice placed form over hurdles. I was a bit hesitant to declare him but I said he was entitled to take his chance and I'm delighted. For the ability I know he has, and the ways he works, he's been a bit disappointing a few times. He's fairly hard on himself unless you go on in front. A lot of times you are pulling and try to settle him but he's probably better off galloping away. Bryan said he half pricked his ears in front there but he was tough and galloped to the line. He gave him a great ride. I entered him in anything and everything that suited and half didn't intend to run in this but two days ago I said we'd let him take his chance because he has form that ties in with some of them. He's in the mile handicap on the Flat on Thursday and we'll see how he is. The horses were a bit out of form a month or two ago and we gave them a bit of time off. We started having a few runners in Killarney two weeks ago and had a couple of winners so we seem to be back in form, thank God.
Connell has big plans for Enniskerry
We hit the bar with him last year when we were second to M C Muldoon in the graded race,. He's by Jeremy, and there's not too many of them around, and they always improve for a jump. It was high run over fences and you couldn't be too confident coming here today as there were a lot of highly-rated horses in it. We felt he'd run a nice race as he was in super form at home and I'm not surprised he's won. I would have been disappointed if he wasn't in the first three. I think fences suit him as he's a keen going horse and over hurdles he's just inclined to over race. With the extra number of fences there it settles him. We only schooled him a couple of times up the strip in the Curragh. The two fences in the dip he jumped like a showjumper. I was a little concerned the highly rated horse, Midnight Run, came up beside him but Sean said he had been filling him coming down the hill. We had dropped him back to two-and-a-quarter, he was a two-and-a-half or two-six horse over hurdles. We'll enjoy today and hopefully we have a nice potential graded horse.
Tahiyra begins her career in taking fashion
She'd been working very well and I was pleased with her. She's a slightly smaller edition than Tarnawa, her brilliant sister. She's done everything right,. At this stage she probably has more pace than Tarnawa, she's by Siyouni so you'd expect that. Let's hope she has the wonderful courage and constitution that Tarnawa had, who was a multiple Group 1 winner around the world for me. This filly is very talented in her own right. She has a lot of the characteristics of her sister, she's very similar in many ways and she showed immediate talent. This had been my plan for a while, it's onwards and upwards with her. We'll see how she comes out of her race but she'll go at stakes level next time. My horses have been a bit out of form, we had a little virus towards the end of the spring and early summer and it has taken me a long time to get shot of it and to get everything clear. It wasn't easy to identify but I'm happy now we've everything right.
Magic Chegaga produces the goods for Duffy
Coreman delights Murphy in Ballybrit
We're delighted with that. After the last day, Gavin came in and said that ground caught him,. He fought hard to get home then but they just caught him 100 yards from home. We were confident today with the improvement in ground and natural improvement from the horse that he should be bang there. The plan was to go with the pace, we had an idea the Aga Khan horse (Karakoul) would go forward so we said we'd sit in with him. Gavin gave him a great ride, he rides him plenty of work so he knows him. It's great to get a Galway winner, it's great for the yard. He'll go into handicap company now and we'll see what the handicapper does. He could be a nice mile handicapper for the rest of the season.
"Tough" Dunum makes it four in a row for Lupini
Ryan at double on Clear Quartz
That's magic. Gavin was super on him and I'm delighted for Jean (Bird, owner). He's a tough horse, a genuine horse and I'm just delighted to have my first winner in Galway. I can't believe it. He had to give away the penalty the last day to No Patience and turned it around today.