Going - Soft (Soft to Heavy in places) on hurdle course, Soft to Heavy (Heavy in places) on chase course. Fine
Trifecta Not Won. Pool of €3,249.59 carried forward to Thurles on Thursday 13th January. Jackpot Pool - €12,399.00 Not Won. Carried forward to Thurles on Thursday 13th January. Placepot Pool - €46,628.71 Dividend - €864.70 Winning Units - 40.44. Pick Six Pool - €5,727.00 Not Won. Carried forward to Fairyhouse on Sunday 16th January. Days Aggregate - €195,037.51 Last Year €143,749.00
Bull Hayes wins Leopardstown's opener
I don't know what happened to him at Cork the last day when he seemed to spit the dummy out! One of his owners has a theory he doesn't travel well but he got things together today. he is bred to stay, is better going left-handed and was entitled to win this on his Flat rating. His owners have been very patient with him in recent times.
McCoy scores on Rahan De Marcigny
Rahan De Marcigny is a hard one to add up! He travels really well in his races but doesn't find much . he had the right jockey on board today though!. he jumps great and if anything, he would have been helped if the final fence had been jumped. He won over hurdles in France and had a high rating which made him difficult to place over here. He is nothing special though and his chase rating of 119 looks plenty aswell.
Magnanimity overturns Jessies Dream
Magnanimity looked good when he won his beginners' chase the last day but the form got a knock at Thurles the last day. Magnanimity is a real old fashioned staying chaser, wants three miles and likes heavy ground. we'll go for the P.J. Moriarty Chase next and he will have an entry in the RSA Chase at Cheltenham . hopefully the ground won't be too quick for him. Being out in front didn't suit him today as he can be lazy at times.
Dessie doubles up
nobody wanted to go ‘on' today but Rare Bob has plenty of ability and has run some very good races making the running in the past. Three miles is really his trip but to win over 2m5f was good and while we'll wait to see what the handicapper does next, his owners would love to run at Cheltenham so he could go for the Ryanair Chase.
Approach wins MCR Hurdle for sponsor
we aimed Final Approach at this race all year and while Paul probably arrived a bit soon, he got all the breaks in the race. Emmet (Mullins, rider of Call The Police) gave his horse a great ride too on just the horse's third run over hurdles. Final Approach had a few indifferent runs and we were very disappointed with him at Down Royal but I thought things were falling in his favour the way he had been coming on at home recently - today was probably his Derby though.
Across The Bay completes Meade's double
Across The Bay had been running over fences and seemed to lose his bottle for chasing. every time he ran in chases I fancied him because he works so well but he was pulled up at halfway in the Paddy Power Chase. Today though, after he jumped the second hurdle, he seemed to prick his ears and say to himself ‘these aren't too big!' and away he went! We'll aim him at the Pertemps Final now.
Waaheb saunters to debut win
Waaheb is still a bit weak and immature and he's not a Cheltenham bumper horse. He'll run next in Limerick's Champion Four Year Old Bumper, a race we've won a few times, but jumping is his forte. He has been well schooled and will make a nice horse next Autumn.
