Going - Straight - Soft Round - Yielding. Raining
Jackpot Pool - €4,653.34 Dividend - €666.70 Winning Units - 4.9. Placepot Pool - €75,244.04 Dividend - €257.70 Winning Units - 204.39. Days Aggregate - €547,638.94 Last Year €325,760.45
Dexter Belle a 50/1 spare for Slattery
Possibly, when Chris (Hayes) picked the other one (Rough Diamond, ninth). I loved her when I got her (ex-Kevin Ryan) and thought she was well handicapped. She ran a bit disappointing for me, but okay on Guineas weekend, but then she ran a stinker next time, it was desperate but my horses were out of form. She was in good form today.
O'Brien's filly well Above The Curve
I thought it was a fantastic ride from Ryan. It was the filly's first run back after a lay-off and I thought she'd come on a bit for the run,. She's a classy filly, a Group 1 winner (in France), and I think her attitude really showed in the last 100 yards, she put her head out and fought it out. She's an impeccably bred filly and I've been really lucky with the American Pharoahs, he's done really well here in Europe particularly. You could see this filly's attitude in the last furlong when the going was getting tough she put her head out and fought all the way to the line, beating a very good filly. The plan was that this would be a nice stepping stone to the fillies race on Arc day (Prix de l'Opera) and that should set her up lovely for that, she's a course and distance winner already.
Highfield Princess simply regal in the Curragh
I knew coming into the two (pole), she was giving me some feel, that is the best feel she has actually given me all year. It's great. It would be nice to go and take on Golden Pal anyway and see how we get on over there. She's well on track to do it. She's just spectacular really. She's a phenomenal filly. John bought her dam in foal and she didn't run at two, we thought she'd win a race or two and all she's done is improve. She's by a very good sire, her dam is a good breeder and she's got a good back pedigree. Her dam is by Danehill. I think not racing her at two probably helped her and then the rest is down to my wonderful staff and the filly. Her next run will be the Breeders' Cup, that's the plan.
Tahiyra dynamite in Group One Moyglare
I said to Colin (Keane on Amazing Show) going down that the half-sister (Tarnawa) wasn't a big robust filly and neither is this one, but they are both very, very good. When you are riding her at home in work, if you send her down with a horse rated 45, she will stay beside it. If you send her down with a horse rated 90, she will stay beside it. I . I knew the way she was travelling on the ground, she was going to quicken on it.
First top-level success for Browne McMonagle as O'Brien doubles up
It was a special performance. He won his maiden well and the owners were keen to supplement him for this. It was a very impressive performance to come from the back of the field like that. He was a big shell of a horse as a yearling and I thought he'd make a lovely three-year-old, I didn't for a minute think he'd make the two-year-old that he has made. He was a big, good moving horse and a horse that was going to mature well. His family is all stamina and for him to be doing what he's doing at this stage is very positive for the future. We always thought he was a middle distance horse, and he's closely related to an Ascot Gold Cup winner so that's real stamina, but he's not slow and didn't look anyway slow today. I'd imagine he's a Guineas horse for sure and we'll take it from there. He's a classy horse and very exciting. The plan coming here was to go on to the race on Arc day but we'll see how he comes out of it today and discuss it with the owners. We thought if we ran in the first three it would be a really good run and that would set him up lovely for the race in France. That's what we were hoping and to see him come on the bridle down to the two today was quite special.
'Faultless' Kyprios lands Irish St Leger
He's a very special stayer. He just does what he has to do. He broke well and he just wanted to follow for a bit. I didn't want the race being slowly run, the pace was nice and even, and I was happy where I was. I always knew he would keep finding plenty and he has been faultless this year. He's very tough. He's very relaxed and is always only in the gear that you want. Ryan gave him a great ride. He's a great horse to have. He's obviously a horse that gets a trip but he has a lot of class. He's very relaxed which is a massive help and helps him get the trip. He's very brave, very clear winded, a good mover and a great mind. It's just a pleasure to have him. It was great that Eva was here to see him today. He's very easy to deal with and it leaves him with a lot of options. He was probably extra lazy today and maybe it was the soft ground that made him a little bit more laboured. He could go back to a mile-and-a-half but obviously we would love to have him around for the Gold Cup for the coming years because he is a unique horse.
Streets Of Gold well named in valuable sprint
Charlie said he hated the ground and never really went a yard in it, but I thought he was always going to get there. Just when he got to the front he found it a bit hard work, but surprisingly I was quite confident. You wouldn't know he was in the yard. Any kid can ride him and when we started working him any kid did ride him because I thought that he wasn't very good and he doesn't do anything. I found the worst race in England, at Chepstow, for him to win. He fell out of the stalls and he won going away and I thought 'maybe you are a bit better than I think you are'. He just doesn't work well at home, he never has, so it's hard to know what you've got. Obviously he's never encountered soft ground, we haven't had any. I wouldn't say he loved it but he handled it. The sale has been very lucky and we found Tout Seul and Beaver Patrol and had a rake load of success out of it. It's a great sale for my sort of trainer. I buy my horses with Anthony Bromley, from Highflyer Bloodstock, and we've gotten better at him knowing what I like and me knowing what he buys. It's going really well.
Incredible one-two-three for Murtagh in Northfields Handicap
It was a long weekend up until this one!. The three horses were going very well at home. Ben (Coen, who rode Safecracker) couldn't ride this one because she only had 8-8, I thought she was well handicapped claiming the 7lb off her. She had been hitting the board and the last day she didn't quite stay over a mile-and-a-half. She travelled really well, got to the front but didn't quite stay. I'd say the soft ground was a help too. Jamie said she was wide all the way but she was travelling, got to the front a bit too soon and in fairness to the second he stayed on well. Safecracker ran a good race and stayed on well. Shane Kelly said Flying Dolphin is coming back, he got a bit stiff and sore after Ascot and it might have been a bit quick. Soft ground for him, being by Zoffany, helped as well. It couldn't have worked out any better. I didn't really care which one won, at that stage I was glad I was coming up this side of the parade ring. It was great, all the owners were there watching together and it was a nice feeling knowing one of them was going to win.
