Going - Good, Good To Yielding In Places. Bright and cold
Jackpot Pool - €5,923.00 Dividend - €243.90 Winning Units - 17. Placepot Pool - €4,004.00 Dividend - €15.00 Winning Units - 186.15. Pick Six Pool - €27,543.00 Dividend - €2,570.60 Winning Units - 7.5. Days Aggregate - €216,956.00 Last Year €169,576.00
Elliott & Donoghue enjoy good Fortune
in fairness to Keith (Donoghue) he has been with me from the start and we've had a few ups and downs. He is riding well and working hard. I think he is having his best season from when he was a 7lb claimer. We decided 11 stone is as light as he is going to do because he's a big fellow and let him do 2lbs overweight today because that's the confidence we have in him.
Sivola scores for in-form Meade & Flanagan
he (Bel Ami De Sivola) was weak last year and two and a half miles would probably suit him better and while the ground is nice, it's probably a little bit quick for most. He'll stay over hurdles but we'll see we'll have to talk to his owner (Michael O’Leary’s Gigginstown House Stud) and see what happens. He will make a lovely chaser in time.
Wakea makes winning handicap hurdle debut
it's been an awful summer for him - he tested positive for an anti-inflammatory that he didn't get in my yard and it didn't go out of his system for three months and he looked horrendous all summer. We came here because there was no novice hurdle in Ireland for him and he seems to be going the right way. When he learns how to jump he has a big engine and he looks like a horse that will jump a fence. In fact hurdles are nearly too small for him. He is still a big baby in a lot of ways. I can't believe we’ve got him - we paid 16,500gns (in February 2016) for him and he's a fine horse and sound as a bell.
'Bitter-sweet' Ruby wins JNwineChase on Lido
it was a super ride and he had been working very well. He's new to the yard so you don't really know but he did a lovely piece of work the other day. In that piece of work he just showed a gear that a real good three miler may not necessarily have. I'll speak to Michael and Eddie (O'Leary) and see what we'll do for the future. We offered the ride to Ruby and he came back and said he wanted to ride him. I wouldn't imagine he’d drop back in trip but he's new to me and Michael, Eddie (O’Leary) and Ruby know more about him.
Sub Lieutenant wins Grade 2 Titanic Chase
he was impressive in Limerick (in October) but this was a different class of race. I'm delighted to see him do something similar. He's funny, he's a character and is just a brilliant jumper - when he sees a fence he just wants to go and jump it. David gave him a brilliant ride. They were hard at it from a long way and he was up there the whole way. I'd like to speak to the lads and see where he goes next - being a negative fellow I picked out the winners of two conditions chase in Gowran, just in case, at the end of the month but thankfully he's not eligible for that anymore!. The John Durkan Chase would be one but I'll speak to the lads and he was entered in the King George but we'll see as he's only a second season novice.
Meade completes Down Royal double
he’s a half brother to Chief Dan George and I bought him as a yearling . However I later said to the man who bred him ‘he's no good’ but he told me not to worry as none of that family are any good until they are six or seven!. He's starting to improve a bit - he’s never won a hurdle race and he couldn't win a point-to-point but he jumped quite well and he stays.
Elliott nears century with Down Royal double
he'll be a nice horse when he goes jumping hurdles but is only a baby. I'd say he's green more than anything and we'll probably go jumping hurdles with him now. That's his job done and it's good to have a couple of winners for the Sloans who are big sponsors (of the Grade 2 WKD Hurdle) up here.
