Going - Hurdle: good, good to yielding in places. Flat: Yielding. Fine
Jackpot Pool - 18,099.26 Dividend - 882.00 Winning Units - 20.55. Placepot Pool - 42,450.11 Dividend - 197.20 Winning Units - 215.28. Days Aggregate - 597,440.92 Last Year 622,335.08
Gale blows in to give Keatley Listed win at Galway
We had to step her up in grade to see what we had and while it is very hard to judge English and Irish form especially at this time of year but she was very impressive. She was well able to hold her own though and we can now go home and start making proper plans. She doesn't mind that ground, will handle slow ground so it's onwards and upwards. She is very straightforward and genuine and while she doesn't really need cheekpieces on, I'm afraid to take them off at this stage as she hasn't put a foot wrong. She is a very good mare and we'll target some of the big races in the autumn and next spring now. It's a while since I was last in Galway but this place has been good to me and she has to be my most impressive winner here. I am mostly a flat trainer but we love to have a few jumpers as it keeps us busy during the winter and this is one we will really look forward to. You always feel vulnerable coming back over taking on Willie (Mullins) and Gordon (Elliott) and the lads, so there was a lot of satisfaction in this. I'll go home, talk to Jimmy (Fyffe owner) and I think she deserves a little break now.
Blackmore steps in to ride Thecompanysergeant to win for Hogan
We went a nice gallop. He had the experience coming into the race. He had some really solid form behind him. I'd say they were surprised he hadn't won his Beginners(chase) until now. We had been thinking of going for the Galway Plate so he would have wanted to do that in this grade and had finished fourth in a Grade 1 three runs ago. The Plate was in my head all summer but when he was beaten in Tipperary, I had a chat with Martin (Cooney) and we decided to stay in calmer waters. Rachael gave him a super ride and he jumped super. He is now still a novice for the season so we'll exploit that and we're hoping he will mix it in graded company during the winter. He has only been out of the money a few times when he had reasons and thanks to Martin for keeping him, as there were times he could have sold him. I'd love to have more like him but what generally happens to stables like ours nowadays is the likes of him are sold and taken by bigger owners and trainers.
Bubbling continues Ballydoyle dominance of Galway juvenile maidens
Mullins filly proves Lucky Out for Heffernan
She might just have a future. I got a good early position and she kept going nicely up the hill. She is a really nice, honest and uncomplicated filly and it was grand to have Seamie again today as nobody else has ridden her. He gave her a lovely ride. They jumped out and went hard for the first furlong but it is now an epidemic in races where they go 500 miles in the first furlong and then jack it up until the last furlong, which is a bit annoying, but Seamie was on top of it. He rode behind Joseph's (O'Brien, with No Knee Never) and she won well. She is a half-sister to group horses in Italy, she isn't the biggest but is plenty big for the flat and is very honest and easy to train.
Rose blossoms under Hassett in Colm Quinn Mile
Reidh a second British trained Galway winner under Orr
I had no runners in Goodwood today but felt nervous and my heart was thumping out of my chest. To have a winner here with the lads is great as I started off training for the late Tommy Staunton 28 years ago and he was a brother of (owner) John. John and Jimmy (Stauntons) are from Mayo so for them and me to have a winner here is fantastic and I've loved it. This means an awful lot and I think Tommy found the gap (in the race) and opened it up for us!. The handicapper put him up 10lb for winning a bad race so I thought that scuppered our chances but getting into (in-running) trouble might have won him the race as he got a chance to fill up and finish off. I'm flying back in the morning and it is actually easier to fly from Gatwick to Galway and come here, than it is to drive to Goodwood. We'll keep the horse here in Galway as he is in on Sunday, but I don't think he will get in.
Clear Quartz repeats 2022 win in day two finale
He missed last year through injury and we got him back at the end of the year but he just loves this place. When he ran here last October, he got wiped out of it and got no luck but today we got luck. Ronnie (Ronan Whelan) gave him an absolute peach of a ride from stall 14, managed to come down the inside and won the race for us.