Going - Hdle/Bmp: Soft (good for last 2f) Chase: Soft (yielding in places) (Soft all around after 2nd). Raining
Jackpot Pool - €18,040.00 Dividend - €2,525.60 Winning Units - 5. Placepot Pool - €54,217.27 Dividend - €157.30 Winning Units - 241.22. Pick Six Pool - €19,556.00 Not Won. Carried forward to Clonmel on Thursday 6th March. Days Aggregate - €273,261.00 Last Year €174,667.00
Love is Alive at Leopardstown
The bit better ground helped. He seemed to be carrying his head high in the closing stages before and was stopping a bit. The ground helped him wind wise, and that's the reason for the bit of improvement. He won a point-to-point for Gordon (Elliott), and he looks a chasing type. He's a bit backward and is only five, and should improve physique wise and get a bit stronger.
Sailors back to form
He was 5lb better off with the Gigginstown horse (Midnight Game) than he would be in a handicap and it was then a case of how many stars turned up. If 1,000 turned up we had no chance and if 700 turned up we had a sporting chance. Perhaps 700 turned up!. He stood on a piece of steel about 18 months ago and it went up into his hoof and we couldn't get him sound. We took him for a CAT scan which would be unusual for horses and we were told there would be a ten percent chance he would ever be sound. So it's marvellous that he's come back sound and well. My farrier has to take a lot of credit and the boys at home have also done a great job with him.
Payroll cruises in under confident Carberry
The intention coming away from here the last day was to run in the County Hurdle but he's too far off the weights. Even with a 5lb mandatory penalty I don't think he'd get in. If by some miracle he does get in he'll go there, and if not then he'll go to Liverpool.
Colah reaches a new peak
He didn't just jump the way he usually does. Noel thought he'd lost it three out but he came back well and he's very gutsy. He has a nice bit of class too. He did the same at Thurles but it was probably a worse mistake there. He seems to get it wrong at the odd fence. I had him entered in the Grade 2 at Navan but it came up too heavy. Being a front-runner he can be hard on himself and he's not a big horse. We'll look for a Graded race for him. Two miles is his optimum trip and his dam is a half-sister to Newmill. He pulls hard and he has to get to the front. He got that 2m1f well and we might be able to stretch it a bit on better ground.
Moore lands the feature with Hat
I'm delighted with that. He had a lovely weight in the race and Robbie gave him a lovely ride. I shouldn't have run him in Limerick but I wasn't down there myself and, if I'd known the ground was that bad, I'd have pulled the plug. He came back well and he proved he gets the trip today. It's hard to get into an Irish National but if he got into it we'd have to think about it. If he doesn't there is a novice handicap chase at Punchestown the following week which would look an obvious race. He doesn't have to run in between as he hasn't run since Christmas and he's come here in great form. They are super owners who have been with me all the way and I'm delighted to repay them with a good win.
Carberry doubles up as Vic comes good
The owner (Joseph Duff) has been a bit sick the last few weeks and that will give him a lift. I'm happy for him and he's waited long enough on him. The horse deserves it. We'll just try and find another one for him.
Off The Mark lives up to his name
I trained the dam (Adarma). I was a bit concerned with the way mine have been running. We've been scoping them and finding nothing and the bloods and everything are good. I made an effort about three times today to take him out but I didn't. Padraig was never far away from me in case I did! He won and that's the main thing. I'd say it will be a jumping career now, and he's a good bit of schooling done already. I'm delighted as JP has sent me a bunch of four-year-olds and hopefully that's a good sign for the rest of them.
