Naas Sun, 19th May, 2024  Serialise They all lined up behind her and had a go at her but she toughed it out. Shane said she was green enough in front, she was having a good look. She was big and backward last year but has come forward this year and got her act together. She wants that quick ground and I’ve been waiting for about three weeks. I’d say we’ll stay at a mile as she’s a Footsteps.

Navan Sat, 18th May, 2024  Birdman It looks like it (could have a star on her hands)._. It was a lovely run and it was great to see. It was only the second run of his life and we are delighted. Most likely he'll go for the Queen's Vase at Ascot, that's the plan. We thought he would take the jump in class in his stride. He goes on good ground and would go on quicker ground. I was a bit worried in Cork that it was a little bit too soft for him but he coped with that. He's a great big baby and he's only a frame of a horse. He's still a work in progress.

Limerick Thu, 16th May, 2024  Cruden we had a lovely bunch of two-year-olds last year but we said they were big backward three-year-olds (of the future) and he is a big big horse who is only starting to fill his frame. He is learning on the job. When Shane got him out and into the open he didn't know what to do but he really ground it out and was good and game at the line. We'll build on this, get him home and see how he comes out of this but stepping up to 1m6f will be no problem as he is a gorgeous big stayer in the making. I was a bit worried about the ground and talked to mum on the way down but Shane said 'oh he'll be fine' although I think he'll definitely improve for better ground. It is great for Alpha Racing (owners).

Limerick Thu, 16th May, 2024  Fleur De Chine She was very good and we were a little disappointed after her run in the Curragh but she got a bump a furlong down which knocked her off her stride. She struck into herself and pulled up a bit sore that day. Overall we couldn't be happier with her and we'll now see what mark she gets and hopefully she might pick up some black-type before the end of the year. Last year's form was rock solid and she should keep on improving.

Roscommon Mon, 13th May, 2024  Lady O That was absolutely lovely because the filly is named after Lady O'Reilly who was in the syndicate and she actually bred her,. It's a lovely touch. We bought her a couple of weeks after she passed away. It wasn't something that we set about doing but Patrick (Cooper) just fell in love with the filly. Being by Australia we didn't think she'd be out this early but she's just done everything so easily and she was ready to start today. Shane said she wasn't in love with the ground and she's only going to keep stepping forward. She's a lovely filly and we're very excited. Her stamina definitely kicked in late on and she's a filly that will be going a mile towards the middle to backend. We'll take one step at a time and see where we go. We won't talk about Royal Ascot just yet but she could get into the Chesham, I think. You never know, we could bring all the ladies to Saturday at Royal Ascot!

Leopardstown Sun, 12th May, 2024  Bold Discovery We’re delighted with that, he’s a horse that’s always promised an awful lot and we’ve held him in very high regard,. He had an allergy issue last year, it turned out he was allergic to grass. When he got his good to firm ground in the Curragh he was very good. We went hunting a bit afterwards with him but we never got our ground. Fair play to Marc (Chan, owner) and Jamie McCalmont as they said ‘why don’t we geld him?’ and we actually did a kissing spine operation on him as well. He was only just ready to start there today and I think we should have a really exciting season ahead with him. We’ll go to Royal Ascot next with him for the Wolferton Stakes. We didn’t put him in the Queen Anne. I wasn’t too bothered if we did finish second today as then he wouldn’t have had a penalty for Ascot but now he will!

Naas Sat, 11th May, 2024  Sea The Boss She was good last year and I just ran her back too quick after the Champions Weekend. She doesn’t go on soft ground. It was a big ask for her with three of them having already had a run this year. I thought fitness might catch her out but she was good and stayed well. She has a turn of foot and showed us that last year when she won her maiden. It’s only her fourth run and she will come forward a good bit from this. She might end up in the Irish Oaks and will be moving up to a mile and a half.

Cork Fri, 10th May, 2024  Kinesiology it has been a great day's work and I'm delighted with him (Kinesiology). We sat and waited with him as the ground went after he ran in August and we knew he wanted good ground. We have been sitting and waiting all spring for the good ground and he'll go up in trip now. He wants 1m4f and might even end up going 1m6f. He will definitely be going up in trip next time.

Cork Fri, 10th May, 2024  Kings Time He is a four-year-old now and is a very big horse who has now matured into his frame. . We couldn't run him until now because he has to have quick ground and we put him in this big handicap hoping the ground would dry out in time. . He quickened up well and I was standing on the stand thinking 'I can't believe this!'. I'm delighted for Maurice (Regan, of Newtown Anner Stud) and we have a couple of nice horses for him this year, so I hope they'll go on running like that. I'll talk to him about plans for this horse but because he likes quick ground, we might think about going to Ascot for one of the handicaps.

Cork Fri, 10th May, 2024  Rock N Roll Rocket he was bred by Con which is great and he'll now be nominated to head off to the Windsor Castle or Norfolk (Stakes at Royal Ascot). He absolutely loves that ground and has to have it quick. He was professional today but he'll definitely need another run before Ascot. I think he did it through ability rather than anything.

Punchestown Thu, 2nd May, 2024  Pigeon House Finally, he did it at the right time anyway,. Nico gave him a great ride, and he dropped his stick after the last so he never even hit him. We'll go to the Flat with him now, he's in a mile-and-six handicap at Gowran next week. He's been threatening to do that all winter. He probably liked that better ground, although he wasn't quick enough on it back in the autumn. He's got much stronger, he is only four still. Galway could be on our mind as well. We gave him a good break after Cheltenham, freshened him up, and he's really loved it.

Navan Sat, 27th Apr, 2024  Givemethebeatboys He toughed it out well. He did everything wrong in a way because he was free early on, took a blow at the furlong pole and Shane had to wait for him. The other horse (Betsen) had had a run, and he will be much better for that. That will sharpen him up a lot. He was good with the penalty on him. He got rolling again and was always going to get there. He'll go to Naas now and then the plan is the Commonwealth Cup.

Cork Fri, 26th Apr, 2024  Birdman We've always liked him, he is a lovely horse and was very green. Shane couldn't even hit him as he didn't know what way he could go. Even at the stalls he didn't want to go near them because there was somebody in them. That will crown him and he is a nice horse. Shane was talking about a Listed 1m6f race for him at Navan in May and we've always thought he wanted better ground than today's description (officially 'soft').

Gowran Park Tue, 23rd Apr, 2024  Norwalk Havoc He said he hated the tacky ground. He doesn't do a stroke, he was looking at everything but he'll get there. That was only his third run and I'm delighted with him,. Shane said he'll be better on a bit better ground, he said that's really tacky. We'll take little baby steps with him. He said he thinks he'll be better in a better race when he gets taken along, because when he got to the front there he looked at everything — he did the same in Leopardstown.