Going - Good To Yielding (Hurdle/bumper), Good (S'chase). Overcast
Jackpot Pool - €10,838.70 Dividend - €1,405.00 Winning Units - 5.4. Placepot Pool - €45,553.52 Dividend - €513.80 Winning Units - 62.06. Pick Six Pool - €79,239.56 Not Won. Carried forward to Punchestown on Monday 31st December. Days Aggregate - €339,662.00 Last Year €714,384.00
Connell gets his Leopardstown winner with Speaker Connolly
That was great. He jumped a bit poorly the last day, he's taken a while to get going with his jumping, but he's put it together now,. He's probably a horse that will get a bit further and I'd say he'll improve again from that today so hopefully he will. He'll need to because the handicapper's going to give him a right whopping. Where we go next I don't know but hopefully there'll be another nice handicap in him anyway. I was a little worried about the ground, I thought it was a bit good for him today, but he handled it lovely. He's won on heavy in Wexford so his form would have suggested he wanted it soft but he's done it very well today. He maybe ran a bit patchy but I'd say over three miles he'd probably run on the bridle the whole way. I think he's nice and I was very happy with the way he jumped. If he can improve at all we'll have an alright horse on our hands.
West wins great tussle with Dog
He had the benefit of a previous run and that stood to him. He did it well. He'll continue on the staying novice hurdle route. I'd imagine.
1-2-3 and it's 4 on the day for Willie
She's very tough. We're probably lucky to still have her in training. We didn't get the rain this winter and if we had I would have just sent her back. The ground is good and she loves it. David said she went down on the sand track where it was heavy and she hated it. He said the minute she stepped out on the grass she was a different mare. He wanted to make the running on her and I said 'okay go ahead and do that'. It worked out for him again. It was a big surprise to me as I didn't think she was up to that standard but the more she does the more she improves. She's probably just a little better than a lot of them on this ground. We'll see what happens when the ground gets heavy. I was delighted with Elimay. It was her first run for us. Charlie Swan bought her in France for JP McManus. She's not a big mare but she's obviously got a big engine, I think. For her first run over hurdles here it was good. With Limini, I'm just wondering if the runs she had on the Flat on very firm ground might be telling now on this unseasonably dry ground here. She might just improve back to her old form if the weather breaks. Ruby felt she wasn't letting herself down on it. She wants more of a cut in the ground.
1-2-3 for Gigginstown as Delta doubles up in Grade One company
He was probably lucky as Ben Dundee nearly brought him down early,. Davy said he's gone very idle and he wasn't doing a whole lot from the second until after the last when he gave him a thump. He said the ground is as quick as he wanted it. He was just a bit careful early. He's a lovely horse. I put a hood on him and he's actually gone very relaxed now which is great, I'm going to leave it on him. Davy was happy enough. We were lucky Joseph's horse made a mistake at the last but Davy was happy enough that he had still plenty in the tank. I'd imagine he'll come back here (for the Dublin Racing Festival), that looks the obvious route for him. It's nice to get another Grade 1 and we're very happy. It's probably a good thing that he's settled now, to be getting three miles. He's a good horse, he was a 150 rated hurdler and he loves a battle as well. I'd imagine he'll go down the RSA Chase road.
Sharjah's Champion Hurdle claims take off with Ryanair win
The ground is crucial to him. It made all the difference. Patrick said he's so good on the ground,. I'm very happy for Patrick and very happy for Rich, who probably hasn't had the best Christmas for him. I thought the mistake put Melon out of the race. Ruby felt he was staying on at the end but it was very disappointing from him. However a good few of our horses having their first runs this season have run similar types of races and I'm hoping he'll improve on that. It's been up and down for us but I'm very pleased to get another Grade 1 today.
McNamara shines on Titans
I'm delighted with that. He's owned by a local Skryne syndicate which I'm in myself and Paul Carberry is also in. Most of the lads are here so it's great,. I was very concerned about the ground coming here and wasn't sure if it was going to be soft enough for him so we made plenty of use of him and Conor gave him a smashing ride. He kicked four out and used his stamina. It was his first run over hurdles for me but he's been second in a maiden hurdle. He'll probably run in the final of this series at Fairyhouse.
3 from 3 for Maguire at Leopardstown Christmas 2018
I think he's very good. He has pleased us in all his work,. He came to me about three months ago and everything he did was perfect, all the way. I thought he was a very good horse. We're going to go straight novice chasing with him. He won't go hurdling. The owners wanted to run him in a schooling race. I said 'I don't like schooling races, why not run him in a bumper and see what we have'. I told Finny 'bide your time and I think he'll run well' so I was happy.
