Going - Standard. Overcast
Jackpot Pool - €789.14 Not Won. Carried forward to Dundalk on Friday 22nd December. Placepot Pool - €23,582.09 Dividend - €2,424.00 Winning Units - 6.81. Pick Six Pool - €575.00 Not Won. Carried forward to Dundalk on Friday 22nd December. Days Aggregate - €282,409.00
Outsider of 4 wins Dundalk opener
If ever a little filly was entitled to a win this one is,. She's been so out of luck on her last few runs. Even the last night she was just beaten on the last bob of the head. She's not over-big but she doesn't half make up for it with determination and strength. I'm delighted for the syndicate as this is their first year with horses and that's their first winner tonight. There are a great bunch and lads and women involved in it. Unfortunately they weren't here tonight but I'm sure they'll enjoy it just the same. There is a mix of people between Ireland and England. Killian said this filly isn't overly in love with this surface but by the time things came right for her at the end of the year we had nowhere else to go. We might just mind her for the grass now. I think she's earned a break. It would have been a shame to put her away without getting a win as she had genuine excuses. Killian is great value for the 5lb and he's a great little rider. He did everything to a tee. She's a tough filly. I didn't want her running from too far out of the handicap and that's why we took the claim off her. She's all speed and she's a filly they're going to have plenty of fun with next year if she's not sold in the meantime.
No stopping Murphy and Coen
The horses are running well and we've been very happy with his last two runs here,. He seems to have taken to the track and he's improving well. He had a confidence issue before but he seems to be running more confident now, travelling better into the bridle. We had a tongue-tie on him before, during the summer, and since we took it off he's been travelling way better. He'll keep on the go here. As long as they're healthy and racing like that we'll keep racing.
In-form McCann and McGovern combine for 20/1 winner
He's a nice horse. I bought him out of Godolphin last year for a fella in Canada who is originally from Enniskillen. He wanted out of him because he's going on five and thank-god I talked Rita Shah into buying him,. I've always liked him and always thought he should have won a maiden. Things just didn't work out and one day at Pontefract he got injured. A horse stood on him coming around the home-bend then when he was cruising. I was pretty confident tonight. He got a little bit lonely as he was in front for so long but he hung on well. The horse are all in great form, thank-god, and I've a good team behind me from staff to owners. Even Dundalk plays it part as we gallop here twice a week.
Double up for Coen at 35/1
She's a nice filly and I don't think she should be rated 60,. We could have went for a handicap but Mr Garvey said he'd like to win a maiden with her. We'll leave her off now. She's better than that and I think she'll improve, I'm hoping she'll improve into a nice filly in the summer. She did a bit of work last Saturday that was better than she's done all year and we think she's improved. Hopefully as a four-year-old we'll have something and you probably won't see her until next May. She's a maiden winner now and that's Mr Garvey's main aim. I think seven is her trip. She should have won the last night when Chris (Hayes) rode her but she got hampered after two furlongs and he said that cost her the race.
English thinks Mokhalad can go much further
He's a lovely horse. We picked him up in July and it's just taken us a bit of time to figure him out,. We tried him over various trips to figure out what his best trip was. Rory rode him work here last Friday and said 'seven here next week.' Credit to him as he said 'I can't see him being beaten next Friday.' He was right again. He has plenty of ability and he will be better on the grass. He's possibly the best horse I've ever trained — possibly. He does everything right at home. He was a burster coming from England and I love buying bursters as we have a system that seems to work for them. It's all confidence with a burster. It doesn't matter about fitness, or having them ready, it's all about growing their confidence and when they realise they aren't going to burst anymore you don't know what they are capable of doing. In my opinion he's the best horse I've ever had but he's got to go and prove it now. He'll have two or three more runs here and then I'll put him away for the grass.
53/1 Dundalk double for Leonard
I was worried as I've hit the crossbar twice this evening (2 2nds - Guanabara Bay and Rosenborg Rider). She's game and I'm relieved she's won as she's been very consistent all year and she hasn't had her head in front,. She ran off 45 tonight and she is low grade but she's a rock solid little filly and she always gives her all. It's great for Sean. He always gets a couple of winners here every year and it's brilliant for him. He's a great patron of mine. She's won a good bit of prize-money for the year for a horse with that rating. She's won 14 or 15 grand. She can run over six or seven and she was actually third over five here a couple of runs back. She's really versatile. She's a nice kind filly and she's going to stud in the spring. We'll still race on with her and see what she does.
Owner Gallagher goes back to back at Dundalk
He went some gallop but that's all the horse does is keep galloping so there is no point in holding him up,. He said he's fair genuine and he enjoyed himself in front and kept galloping. He enjoys it in front when he gets his own way like that. It was a competitive little race but he did it well. He's after winning three races here now. He might jump a hurdle now, we'll see. I didn't want to run him too often here but he obviously enjoys it. Last year he wasn't just liking it here but I don't know why. We'll have to see what the handicapper does and then decide what we want to do. He's decent. Shane said he went a good gallop and kept picking up for him. He'll get further as well.
Connection earns "bit of a break"
She's a lovely filly. She won her maiden here last time and wanted every yard of it then,. We intended to be positive and to make it if someone else didn't but we got a lovely lead into the race and just got up in the final half furlong. We were fairly confident she would stay and hopefully improve for the extra distance and she did. Leigh said he got to the front early enough and felt he had plenty in the tank. It's nice to have a good genuine filly. When a horse is genuine and goes on it means a lot. Hopefully she's improving. There is nothing else for a while now so she'll get a bit of a break, it's nicely earned, and she's certainly a filly we'll look forward to next year.
