Going - Good To Yielding (Watering To Maintain). Overcast
Jackpot Pool - 22,318.00 Dividend - 17,500.00 Winning Units - 1. Placepot Pool - 82,452.90 Dividend - 109.80 Winning Units - 525.26. Pick Six Pool - 40,079.25 Not Won. Carried forward to Punchestown on Thursday 1st May. Days Aggregate - 809,784.00 Last Year 77,879.00
McGarvey the Master in Martinstown!
I'm delighted for Michael (O'Riordan, owner) who is a great supporter of mine and he just wanted a runner at Punchestown!
Le Vent finishes novice season with gusto
Le Vent D'Antan is a most beautiful specimen but I've only now figured out how to train him!. He had very bad ulcers and missed the autumn, so it then took a while to figure out his trip. I think I have the hang of him now; Barry (Geraghty) rode him the last day and said he wanted better ground and he also took a good blow so I really got stuck into him in the last three weeks. That's the performance he should have shown us as he's a quality horse with a huge engine and it's really good finishing off the year by him informing us on what to do next year!. It takes him a while to get through the gears as he has a huge big stride but that'll be his last hurdle and he'll go chasing next season.
Beat That enters 'World' picture with G1 win
he had a very tough race at Aintree and Barry said he didn't quite feel the horse that he did then. He hasn't had many races and doesn't know much about life yet but he's a very progressive horse. I said to Barry afterwards 'what'll we do now?' but really we don't have to make up our minds and we can think about it over the summer. We've got him and Whisper who both look like three miles chasers but we could be tempted to keep one of them over hurdles next season.
Turf Club suspensions/vet reports
Fourth-pick Shaneshill wins Champ Bumper
Shaneshill's work was very middling coming into this and he was fourth choice in the race among our work riders. It was a brave ride from Jamie. He felt he was going well enough and took the bull by the horns; I thought he had gone a bit too soon but he stayed on well. Jamie felt he'd get the speed horses off the bridle and he looked a stayer there. He could be one for staying novice hurdles next year.
Guinness glory for Gibney's gelding
Orpheus Valley got injured here in February when I shouldn't have run him. He got a bad knock at Navan prior to the run, when second, but I took a chance by running him because he had to win over a certain distance to qualify for the Aintree Grand National. That was the reason he ran but I shouldn't have and after I got him back, it was a race against time to get him ride for the Festival.
Fry's Fletchers Flyer wins finale
Noel Fehilly said that Derek was the one man to have on his back. He is a real galloper and is as tough as nails and we knew that he'd stay well. We'll put him away now and he is a nice prospect for next season.