Compensation for Rourke’s Cross

Mullins keeps up winning tempo

it's nice for Paul to get back on a winning note. We'll try and do the same with Blazing Tempo and try and find another nice race for her - she'll mix it over hurdles and fences. She just took her eye off the third last but she jumped well for a mare coming back from fences.

Lynch motoring with Kotor

Bay Of Kotor is in again at Navan on Monday and more than likely he'll run there as he's a hardy little horse. Andrew's (Lynch) first reaction when he came back in was that everything was ok (regarding the enquiry).

Celebration Scoops after 'jolly' win

Too Scoops is a nice horse and the lads bought him on my recommendation after her ran at Thurles. The lads work for Paddy Power and must think racing is easy now after getting a winner on their first runner! Davy gave him a great ride and he battled really well. He could make a nice novice hurdler for next year and could get another spin in a bumper before being put him away . he's a big raw horse.

Perfect chasing start for Smile

that was almost perfect - he had one very dodgy one (mistake at the fifth last) and Paul (Carberry) said he just stepped into the middle of it. He has been a little bit keen schooling and while I've never made any secret of how good I think he is, he let me down a bit last year. He had a wind operation on his palate since then and hopefully that will have left him right and he can finish his races better. Fences will help him too as he has plenty of scope and jumps well. He's in the good novice chase at Leopa on Ste Stephen's Day but that might be a big jump. He didn't do any more today than he would do in a piece of work so it might be better to wait another week. Ground is a bit of a factor too as he wouldn't be mad about heavy ground.

In Great Form defies top weight

In Great Form jumped better today but he still nudged a few fences. He is a big heavy horse and needs somebody to pull him together and Mark suited him. He is no star but it was good to win with him and we'll go for something similar maybe over three miles with him now.

The Beat goes on for Mullins

Up The Beat just seems a natural jumper and I thought when he was jumping the fences at Ballyhack that I would have to plot a trip to Aintree at some stage with him!. He did it well and we'll look for another novice chase for him. He is a real staying chaser and will go up in trip to three miles now.