Going - Good to Yielding (Straight Crse); Good, Good to Yielding in places (Round). Overcast, threat of showers
Jackpot Pool - €4,226.31 Dividend - €350.00 Winning Units - 8.46. Placepot Pool - €42,284.61 Dividend - €33.80 Winning Units - 874.51. Days Aggregate - €489,308.59 Last Year €316,544.00
Zarinsk delivers on debut for Lyons and Keane
She’s a lovely honest filly but she hasn’t come in her coat. I’ve been very patient with my fillies and it’s great to start one here this weekend. There is so much improvement in her coat wise and everything, and she’ll be better on nicer ground. She had to do it the hard way which I don’t like doing but when Colin is riding them he has free rein to do what he wants. What she has learned from it we won’t know because she had to do it all on her own but she hit the line strong. I can see buckets of improvement because she is still very much a work in progress. I won’t rush her back, she will tell me. The one thing Colin said is she rides weak so we will bear that in mind.
Lyons and Keane annex double with Pirate Jenny
To be black-type hunting we thought she had to win this. We had a little hold up with her in the spring so she’ll come on plenty for that. She got tired but still got the job done. These fillies we keep in training we’re always looking for black-type and she needs to improve again but we are on the right road.
Alenquer lands Tattersalls Gold Cup for Haggas
This horse had a trip over to Dubai in the winter and he ran super over there and we had excuses. We always thought we would win a Group One over a mile and a half. Today being a mile and a quarter is hopefully a sign that there is better things to come from him. He's hardy and that was a great performance. He really had to dig deep there and it is a stiff last furlong. To be honest, I was always really happy. As playful as he might be, he really digs deep when he has to. It is wonderful for William Haggas and the team at home because he is not the easiest. He’s a very tough horse and he deserved to win a Group One. He was ridden beautifully by Tom. We were late arriving and he said please don’t make me go down first as I don’t know how to get to the start!. He knows him really well and the horse is as hard as nails. The more you ask the more he gives. He’s always been a nice horse but he keeps surprising us a bit. I think ground is important and it is on the slow side here. He won over a mile and a half at Ascot last year but his top class form is over a mile and a quarter. I thought he had a hard enough race today but looking at him there is not a bother on him.
Pearls Galore justifies favouritism in Curragh Group 2
She’s tough and improving all the time. She does what she has to do and enjoys racing. She’s won her Group 2 now so we’ll have to try and win a Group 1. The fillies' races through the summer - the Falmouth, the Prix de Rothschild and the Matron - maybe the Foret and the Breeders Cup Mile, that sort of programme we are looking at with her.
Homeless Songs sensational in Irish 1,000 Guineas
I was delighted to get the call to ride her this year and I'm grateful to Mr Weld and all the team at Rosewell who do a fantastic job. Our horses aren't really hitting the boards at the minute and hopefully this is the turning point. Where we were drawn is probably the best of the ground. When the draw came out the other day, I was nearly leaping up and down inside in Rosewell!. It can get a little bit congested down below. She has an extraordinary turn of foot and the last thing I wanted to do was to be looking for gaps. She likes a little bit of room and you saw what she can do. There was talk that she would be better with a bend and this and that. My only concern coming into today was would I get a clean run of things. Staying a mile and the ground made no difference as she is a special filly. It was nice to get the colts one (Irish 2,000 Guineas on Awtaad in 2016), now we have the fillies' one. Any day you ride a Classic winner is a good day. My only concern was whether she could carry that speed over a mile but she relaxed beautifully for Chris and he gave her a most perfect ride. I said to Eva if she can carry that speed over a mile, she will win the Guineas. I’ll discuss it with Eva but the Coronation at Royal Ascot would now be a definite possibility. She’s a great filly to have and the next day will tell us even more. She’s not the easiest to keep right but when you have her right she is very good. Pat (Smullen) won at Stakes level on her dam and I
Additional makes it a 314/1 treble for Keane
I thought he might win the first day in Naas (second to Blairmayne) but he probably needed it. He was very fresh and keen. He’s a lovely horse but was just a bit buzzy, and I thought if we could get a handle on him then he could win one of these. I’m delighted as it’s the biggest race I’ve won and it’s great for my uncle John who has been very supportive. He’s tricky to ride at home and David Mason has done a really good job with him. He may have got there a wee bit too soon but he was very game. Hopefully he gains some confidence from that because he was burning out over in England. He’s bred to be a good horse.
Nectaris overturns favourite in Curragh
She stayed going very well. She’s tough and loved that little ease in the ground. That was a lovely pot and I’d like to get a bit of black-type with her now. She enjoyed that going along there and she seems to have plenty of pace. She likes doing her own thing.
Kiss You Later gives her rivals the brush off
She stayed well and it looks like a mile and a half may suit her. This weekend always works well for Ascot and she may go there next. High Definition ran a great race (second in the Group One Tattersalls Gold Cup) and it was obviously his best run. We were delighted with him and he won’t mind going up in distance. Tuesday ran a good race (runner-up in the Irish 1,000 Guineas) and came up against a very good filly on the day. I’d imagine if everything goes well she will head to Epsom.
