Going - Heavy. Overcast
Days Aggregate - €601,734.87 (5 races). Last Year €897,967.27 (8 races).
Tough William claims opener
Looking at the runners today, out of all of them I thought my horse would handle the ground the best and he proved it,. He had a superb run when he won at Fairyhouse under top-weight the last day. He was giving two-and-a-half stone to horses that looked well handicapped. He has done little since, just ticking over and swimming. It's very tricky now lads! He's not a Sprinter Sacre and we'll try and avoid him. There should be plenty of other races for him.
Hurricane lands Rabobank hat-trick
He wasn't impressive going past the winning post first time and just his class won the race for him,. Ruby thought he would be in better form going to the third last but he wasn't. Once he pulled him out and sent him about his job he did it though. The ground was real tacky and maybe he doesn't like that now. As they get older horses get a preference for ground. We'll see where we go from here. We'll probably put him away now. He just had an off day in Cheltenham. He only did enough today. Maybe next year we'll ride him like a normal horse as he's always been very keen and we've been trying to settle him. He settled at Leopardstown in January but he settled too much at Cheltenham. My job now is to try and get the Champion Hurdle back. Zaidpour ran a cracker and I thought he was going to cause an upset but he just got done for a bit of speed. He could go to France as could Thousand Stars.
Dedigout impresses in Champion Novice
I had intended to run him in the three-mile race but the two bosses (Michael and Eddie O'Leary) thought it would be better to run in this,. He missed every hurdle at Naas but things worked out today. He jumps his hurdles big and safe and looks a nice prospect for chasing. He should develop into a nice staying chaser. That's his ground and he was always going to stay - he outstayed them. On quicker ground the likes of those horses get away from him. He's an old fashioned horse and is so laid back.
Money talks for Oscara
Walsh gets good tune from Melody
She's a half-sister to (Listed hurdle winner) Ceol Rua. She's a strong filly and obviously handles that ground,.
