Fast finishing Lorenzo lands Fairyhouse’s opener

Carrig collects to give Browne a first at Fairyhouse

There’s normally great support every day we go racing with uncles, aunts and everything, but of course he wins when nobody comes, only two brothers!. I’ll never beat the first day winning a point-to-point at home in Carrigtwohill (Cork) but this comes very close in fairness, it’s brilliant.

Welluknow bounces back from Christmas disappointment

he’s always been a nice horse but I was disappointed in Leopardstown the last day when the race didn’t work out for him on better ground over two miles. Danny (Mullins, jockey then) was very good and looked after him when he wasn’t happening. I’ve no real plan for him and we’ll look now to see where we go next. He’s crying out for a fence, he’s a beautiful jumper and has loads of scope. It’s great to start the year with a winner.

McManus on the Mark with majestic Mighty Park

Ex-jockey Buchanan trains first winner

that’s my first winner, I haven’t had a whole pile of runners yet and it’s nice for my father who bred the mare and it is a good family. He’ll be keeping her to eventually breed off. I’ve had a few point-to-point winners and this mare won for me, as did her sister Rosevale. she needs to brush up her jumping, she’s just making life hard for herself as she was a bit slow early on. She’s tough and game and is a nice mare to go to war with. In fairness she’s a three-miler and we got away with it over 2m4f today in dead old ground, which takes a bit of getting. She just put her head down and kept trucking away, so it’s great. I ran her the last day at Limerick as I was trying to get a bumper win into her, but it just didn’t work out. At least she’s a winner now and if I could get a bit of black-type it would be lovely.

Needs Must returns Elliott to winner’s enclosure

he had a good run the last day and we thought he had a good chance. He’s a nice horse and Jack said he’d probably be better in a better race. He travelled well and I loved the way he jumped. He quickened to the front and then he kind of pulled up when he got there. It was good though. The handicapper can’t do much to him off 108 and it was the right race for him.

Redemption but Kanog Bay delivers ‘a day late’

I’m very happy as we really fancied him at Limerick the last day and thank God I redeemed myself today. It was probably the trainer’s fault going to Limerick with him for his first run in a handicap. They went very slow that day, it turned into a sprint and my instructions were probably a bit wrong. Conor (Stone-Walsh) wasn’t afraid to make use of him today and he’s a nice big horse who, hopefully in time, will make into a three mile chaser. He’s still a big raw horse and we won’t be too busy this season. We’ll give him another summer’s grass and see what he does.

Act puts on a show in Fairyhouse’s finale

in Cork the last day, Donagh (Meyler, jockey) went to jump off and make the running, but ended up out the back of 25 runners. It was atrocious ground, mud just kept hitting him in the face and he could never get him to go forward. It suited well today, as he got a nice easy lead in front. He jumped well, he’s good and fit and straight and he was down off bottom weight. Today on that ground he was able to get his own way in front and it made a big difference.