Killarney Sat, 9th May, 2026  Sainte Lucie Sainte Lucie was coming back in trip but I’d say she will be going back out again, as I wasn’t able to go the gallop. I thought the others were gone but the cheekpieces definitely worked, and she stayed galloping. It wasn’t until halfway up the home straight that I thought I’d catch Break My Soul and my mare came with a good run. We thought a lot of her as a juvenile and she is only now starting to put it together.

Punchestown Sat, 2nd May, 2026  Place De La Nation She has been knocking on the door being placed at Cheltenham and in a Grade 1 at Fairyhouse, so is a high-class mare. That said, she did need the other two (stablemate Jade De Grugy and Wodhooh) to cut each other's throat's and that probably is what happened. We thought it would be hard to go up against the geldings in the novice race and while we had been trying to split up our runners, she wasn't qualified to run in the Listed mares' novice hurdle. This then looked the race she had the best chance of winning. I thought it was a great run by Jade De Grugy but I think Paul (Townend, her rider) and Jack (Kennedy, on Wodhooh) probably ended up almost taking each other out. Danny got the fractions race, as he always does, and is lethal in that second-string role.

Punchestown Sat, 2nd May, 2026  Uncle Pat Uncle Pat had been running consistently well and was good today. He had run well in the National Trial, and in a maiden hurdle, here and obviously likes the place. He ran well in the Ulster National recently and those extended trips suit him really well and he also likes good ground. The lads have said that the middle of the course is more watered, so going either on the inside or outside was the place to be. The fresher ground is on the outside although Paul (Townend) said he was flat out in the early part of the race but stayed going at the pace he was comfortable at. A lot of horses don't stay those extended trips but our two (Uncle Pat and runner-up Fishery Lane) do. Today was the grand plan, as was the Ulster Nation and the National Trial!

Punchestown Thu, 30th Apr, 2026  Salvator Mundi He’s a good horse in his own right. He was right on the premises; it wasn’t as if he was 20 lengths behind and picked up the pieces. He was going to be involved in the finish. If Kopek had made a mistake there and got away with it, yer man was right on his tail. He’s always been a good horse, but things just haven’t gone right for him. It’s nice to get a big race like that with him. He won in Aintree last year and he’s no back number. He probably needs nice ground, and is probably more of a spring horse than a real winter horse. I’m delighted for Marie and Joe Donnelly. They’ve had a disappointing season but now they have Kitzbuhel and this fella winning.

Punchestown Thu, 30th Apr, 2026  Beauvallon I’m delighted with that performance. He’s a horse that is improving. He wasn’t always in love with the game, but I think he’s jumping better than he’s Flat racing. We might go back on the Flat again with him this summer though. He’s going the right way and it’s a nice win for Patrick Wynn-Jones who is the manager for Barnane Stud. Himself and a few pals have this horse. They brought him back from France to give a trial to and he’s trialling well at the moment!

Punchestown Wed, 29th Apr, 2026  Even Tho That was a huge performance,. Rachael Blackmore tipped us off to have a look at her after she fell in her point-to-point and bought her for this client. It’s one of the many talents she has now that she’s given up riding, spotting horses! If she can buy more like her she’ll make a living out of that. It was a good buy by her and we’ll have to give Rachael the plaudits for sourcing this one. It was an extraordinary performance. I was hoping my own filly was creeping up the inside with Derek but when Jody set her alight it was all over in a few strides. We know she jumps, she’s been around a point-to-point course, so we’re looking forward to going novice hurdling, probably next season.

Punchestown Wed, 29th Apr, 2026  Gaelic Warrior We’ve never won this race before. It was very sporting of JP to run his horse, the ground probably didn’t suit him but he’s a fantastic horse. I’m so pleased to win it. I’ve not been here since Ruby retired in 2019. I’ve been busy and we had covid and those kind of things. The people here are brilliant and I’m thrilled to win the race. I couldn’t be more delighted. Joe Chambers as well as Willie and Paul and the rest of the team deserve a lot of credit and I’m thrilled for everyone. I didn’t watch it but Joe said we were going well. It felt like it was never in doubt and I’m looking forward to watching it. It was a huge performance. My heart was in my mouth when Paul joined him between the fourth last and the third last. I was thinking ‘would they knock one another’ or what would they do. They were going some lick. Both jockeys just let fly. Over that trip Gaelic Warrior seemed to have the measure of Fact To File. Over a shorter trip it might be different. It was a helluva horse race. It takes two horses to do it. It was great that JP allowed Fact To File to take him on. It made for a memorable day. Both horses got the run of the race the way they wanted to. Fact To File got a nice time in front and Paul was able to settled his fella in. Both jockeys got to ride their horse the way they wanted to. There were no excuses.

Tue, 28th Apr, 2026  Il Etait Temps He is a hell of a horse and when you look at him, he doesn' exactly scream a big chaser to you. He isn't a big horse but is strong. He has huge reserves as, having made that mistake, I thought 'wow' as he came up beside Marine Nationale afterwards at the third-last. Marine Nationale is a fair horse to beat as he has a fair engine. To do what he did having fallen at Sandown and come back to win at Cheltenham was special, when Paul was in top-flight jockey mode.

Tue, 28th Apr, 2026  Il Etait Temps He is a hell of a horse and when you look at him, he doesn' exactly scream a big chaser to you. He isn't a big horse but is strong. He has huge reserves as, having made that mistake, I thought 'wow' as he came up beside Marine Nationale afterwards at the third-last. Marine Nationale is a fair horse to beat as he has a fair engine. To do what he did having fallen at Sandown and come back to win at Cheltenham was special, when Paul was in top-flight jockey mode.

Tramore Mon, 20th Apr, 2026  I Walked The Line I picked up a ban at Cheltenham and Luke has been with us a couple of years, he is a brilliant rider and a fantastic horseman, so I was delighted to give him a chance and he took it with both hands. He is a good horse and I'm hoping he'll be an Aintree, Cheltenham horse next year. We might go to Stratford with him this year at the end of May. It fits in well. He is only five and he'll be six for Cheltenham next year, so he is young but hopefully we'll have him for a couple of years. If you have a Billaway type and can go to Cheltenham, Aintree and Punchestown every year, they are some great races. We are looking for a replacement for Billaway and he might be it. A better-jumping replacement!

Limerick Thu, 16th Apr, 2026  Sparkling Wit We were very worried about the ground as he is not like his brothers (Gaelic Warrior and four-year-old Our Trigger) and I think he is a good-ground horse. He is a much more feminine type, is smaller and slighter but was tough in the end today. I think he'll be much better on nicer ground and I'd be hoping he could go for a winners' bumper around May-time. I just think he is not a middle-of-winter horse. He is very different from his two brothers and is a nice ride. I think he will improve as he started off very slowly at the start of the season and Willie has been very patient with him. He has got better every week. We bought him as a foal, when we initially thought Gaelic Warrior was very good.

Sat, 11th Apr, 2026  I Am Maximus It was a good call from JP, I’d been going down the Gold Cup route with him, but he said to stay in Aintree with him as he felt he was well handicapped. Paul just executed it so well. He’s a superb horse who got a fantastic ride and I think the most trouble he got was from his stablemates and his co-pilots, they didn’t give him much room. It is (hard to win off top-weight), but maybe the modern-day National is changing and we’re looking at it a bit differently. It’s the race we aspire (to win). It’s the race you want to win and be a part of — just to have a runner is a tremendous sensation. He is just a superstar — nothing fazes him. He comes out, does what he has to do and wins Nationals.

Sat, 11th Apr, 2026  I Am Maximus It was a good call from JP, I’d been going down the Gold Cup route with him, but he said to stay in Aintree with him as he felt he was well handicapped. Paul just executed it so well. He’s a superb horse who got a fantastic ride and I think the most trouble he got was from his stablemates and his co-pilots, they didn’t give him much room. It is (hard to win off top-weight), but maybe the modern-day National is changing and we’re looking at it a bit differently. It’s the race we aspire (to win). It’s the race you want to win and be a part of — just to have a runner is a tremendous sensation. He is just a superstar — nothing fazes him. He comes out, does what he has to do and wins Nationals.