Going - Good. Fine
Jackpot Pool - €723.57 Dividend - €10.10 Winning Units - .02. Partial Carry Over of €706.65 to Fairyhouse on Friday 16th June. Placepot Pool - €19,303.29 Dividend - €884.80 Winning Units - 15.27. Days Aggregate - €176,094.17 (8 races). Last Year €156,077.56 (7 races).
Bella Blue Eyes not for passing in Foxrock
She's a nice filly. She had a good run last year and she got a setback after it. She was drawn very wide here the last day. Mine usually come forward from their first run and she's done that. There looked to be lots of dangers in the race but we decided we'd be positive and, if we could, go forward, and it worked out. I think she'll keep improving. Eddie (Walsh, owner) has set up a stud farm and the idea would be to get some black-type so we'll look at that. Whether we go via a winners' race or she goes down that direction we'll see, but I think she's good enough. I'd say she'll get a mile, but Billy said she's comfortable at that trip as well.
Amanirenas and Ryan team up well in apprentice handicap
She'd shown glimmers. She got left about 10 lengths in Fairyhouse the last day and I thought that was the first run where she was showing she was coming back to herself,. We brought her to Newcastle and there was a false start and they were waiting for about 15 minutes and she totally boiled over. Ever since she came home she's been a different filly, worrying about things and stressing out going racing. She was sweating on us and just wasn't relaxing. She's finally found her way back and she was well handicapped off her run last year. It's great for the owner (Mrs Renata Coleman) who has three or four with me, it's nice to get a winner for her again. When she missed the break, we had to ride her cold and I said to switch out wide and it seemed to work. She enjoyed it today, not getting her crowded and letting her enjoy it. She's in again on Thursday (here) and we might run her back again if the ground is okay.
Ocean Jewel sparkles and brings up Lee's double
That's brilliant. She's a lovely filly, she's done nothing wrong and she keeps improving the whole time. That was her first time over seven and Billy said she hit the line very well. She's a very sharp filly and I loved the way she settled. They went a good honest pace and she quickened off it, you couldn't ask for any more really. It was lovely ground. The world is her oyster and we'll take our time with her. We can go six or seven with her. She's a very well-bred filly and it's was very important to get that Group 3. We'll try and step her up but we've got all year with her. It's a big weekend for Kieran (Lalor, Al Shira'aa's racing and bloodstock manager). He bought this filly a couple of years ago and he bought the second favourite for the French Oaks, Jannah Rose.
Mobilise motors in for Lyons
He had a good draw last week and threw it away at the start, he jinked left and nearly got rid of Gary (Carroll),. When I saw 14 for today I said 'ah jaysus', but then I thought he got a good draw last week and didn't want it. He's slowly but surely maturing into a racehorse. If everything is right he'll go back to the north (Down Royal) next week over ten (furlongs). I think that's where you'll see him come into his own, when we take our time with him. Hopefully he'll work his way through the grades. He's been a project, I think he's been more mentally immature than anything, but he's slowly but surely getting there.
No Niki No a significant winner for returning O'Neill
She jumped the road and Declan said he was nearly a goner, but we got away with it!. She's a good, solid filly, she's improved with age and that's the seventh time she's won. She's hardy, tough and sound. She always needs her first run every year and then she performs to her level. She's in a seven furlong fillies' handicap at the Curragh on Derby weekend, so we'll see. We wanted to get the first one out of the way and we're delighted. We have 28 in at the moment, we cleared a few out when we got here as we brought a few over we shouldn't have. We have a mixture at the moment - we struggled to buy yearlings last year, so I kept some nice fillies that we can sell. They'll be coming out in due course.
Vidala swoops from last to first
That is hilarious! We really liked her as a two-year-old, but she couldn't finish off and really liked her as a three-year-old but again she couldn't finish off. We got her back X-rayed and got an on-board scope but couldn't find anything wrong with her. They thought she maybe had a form of asthma. I put her in the field and tried to sell her as a riding horse, but then I had somebody come in who wanted to ride and she's so quiet. I brought her back into work and then she started to train really well and hey presto!. She just needed time. I got the syndicate into another horse because I told them we were retiring her, now they've got two horses in training — how cool is that! They also have an unraced two-year-old. Being by Lawman, I wasn't sure whether she'd like the ground. I said to the owners today was like a magical mystery tour, we were just going to run her. I told Robbie to enjoy it and she flew home. They've been a very lucky syndicate because they had Lil Grey and Mr Ormsby. We thought their luck had run out, but now it's back in!
Keane doubles up on Complete Fiction but sting in the tail
Colin was very patient on him, he said they went hard so he just sat. He did something similar when he won last year, he came from well back, flew up the outside and did it nicely. Obviously he likes being fresh and well in himself but, in fairness to him, last year he held his form for most of the year. We'll see where we go from here, but he's at a level and if we can keep him in that area he might pick up another race. A lot of times it's down to himself, what he decides during the race, whether he'll go for it or not.
In-foal Sea Oscar makes the breakthrough
She's a well-bred filly, she's a (half) sister to Greenland, and she's in foal to Saxon Warrior. She wasn't a winner and she's a winner now. She has plenty of talent and the cheekpieces and a step up in trip helped her.
