Going - Soft (Heavy in Places). Fine
Jackpot Pool - €15,533.04 Dividend - €175.00 Winning Units - 62.13. Placepot Pool - €63,908.00 Dividend - €6.20 Winning Units - 7136.59. Pick Six Pool - €78,356.03 Dividend - €5,961.80 Winning Units - 9.2. Days Aggregate - €435,499.00 Last Year €452,588.00
Mick upsets odds-on Emery
It was a good performance. We were toying with going to the Betfair Hurdle next week but we felt a winner in Ireland is more important. He won't run next week now, and we could look at something like the County Hurdle in Cheltenham,. I knew he'd go to the turn-in on the bridle but you always wonder what they will find off it. In fairness he had to pull out all the stops to beat the other horse.
Isle on the up at the age of ten
It was a very good performance and he is improving all the time. I'd imagine that he will go for the Final and he should get in now. An extra few furlongs wouldn't do him any harm, and I'd like soft ground for him.
McInerney off the mark on big stage
Garry Cribbin is my agent and it's hopefully onwards and upwards from here. Donal has been with me a few years. He was finding it hard to get rides in point-to-points so he has decided to go down this route (turning professional). He's (Auvergnat) only a seven-year-old and should have a nice future at this game. He will have to go for the cross-country now at Cheltenham next month. He had a look there last week, and it was just unfortunate (unseated and then fell when loose) what happened then.
Easy for Douvan in Tied Cottage
I gave him a squeeze at the back of the second last and he jumped out through the bridle. He won as he liked — probably as you'd expect him to win. I'd suppose it's the old adage — the better horse you ride, the faster they go and the easier it is to ride them. He just has a huge amount of natural ability — he's a pleasure to ride. You don't have to do anything on him — you just have to sit there. He's looking himself. If he wants to go in he goes in and if he wants to stand out he stands out. You're only tactically riding the race — the jumping is up to him. That's the way it is with good horses. Cork got a great crowd when he turned up there, Leopardstown the same and here today. He's a wonderful horse and it's great to see people coming out to watch him. I'm relieved that's over. He's probably not showed anything that he hasn't showed us before.
Velocity may be headed for bigger things now
It took a while to get there but at least we got there,. He was unlucky the last day over two miles and I thought maybe going up in trip might help him as he'd won a point-to-point. Making the running probably suits but I'd love to be able to drop him out and go longer, just to see because I think he could be very good if we could do that. He's always been a little bit head-strong. He's getting his act together and he has his own way of getting from a to b. He's improving. There's a novice handicap at Naas in about three weeks time that he could go for now. We'll probably give him a crack at something bigger too, and the Irish National is also in the back of our heads.
No living with Baie in National Trial
That's her, three and a half miles and soft ground. We were delighted with her run in the Welsh National but Katie said the ground wasn't soft enough. The rain came here on Thursday and she just loves it. The Eider Chase at Newcastle could be her next race. She was second in this race last year, and the owners Charles and Zorka (Wentworth) were over and keen to go for it. Katie gave her a brilliant ride, and she was keen enough to ride her that way. She was ridden in behind horses in Wales and Katie felt she didn't like it. If something wanted to go on today she would let them but if nothing wanted to lead she would let her bowl along. She seemed to love it in front. She ran in the Irish National last year and ran a good race to be sixth. It's the 17th of April this year and we are probably going to run out of ground for us at that stage. If there was plenty of rain she could run and she will get an entry. She is not eligible to run in Aintree as she is only a six-year-old. The dream ticket would be Aintree and hopefully if she is in one piece then we will be there next year.
No stopping Codd on great weekend
That was the wrong track here for him and he'll be a two and a half or three mile chaser down the road. He's for sale and should make a nice prospect for someone.
