Going - Good, good to yielding in places. Overcast
Jackpot Pool - €4,671.31 Dividend - €672.60 Winning Units - 4.86. Placepot Pool - €24,341.94 Dividend - €17.70 Winning Units - 959.84. Days Aggregate - €275,619.24 Last Year €253,852.25
Al Arrivee gets Listowel favourite backers off to winning start
She is a half-sister to Al Boum Photo and I initially bought her with a view to breeding from her. Now what I'd like to do is get some black-type and with her pedigree, she'll stay all day. I was worried that today's trip might be too sharp so Patrick said he wanted to make it a test of stamina today and to make her fitness be the key. She didn't jump as well as she can, but was going a little faster than she is used to. Fitness paid off in the end and I'd say the runner-up won't be far away from her next win. She'll probably go out in trip now.
Tell The Boys makes up for Wexford exit
When things didn't work out for her at Wexford the last day, we said we'd plan to come here and everything went smoothly. She took her work well, we schooled her and she was nicely weighted today with all the allowances for being a four-year-old, a filly and a cheap-purchase, along with Kevin's 7lb claim. She is funny as she is always in sixth gear when you'd prefer her to be in fifth, but this course suited her and Kevin knows her. She only barely gets two miles so I told Kevin to slow her down whenever he could, and to let her breathe. She only cost €1,000 and these auction races are great, as she has picked up the bones of €18,000 including bonuses today. There are twenty lads involved for €50 a man and have now had two great days at this course, so I'm delighted.
Game Point lands Listowel feature for Ray Cody
My nephew Paddy Cody rode him to win in a common canter the last day but couldn't do the weight today. He had a lovely low weight today but I told Sam (Ewing) to keep a squeeze on him today as she can be lairy. Sam said he was lairy the whole way around but I knew it would take a fair horse to go by him. He is well able to jump but when he doesn't concentrate, he can be sloppy. He has a big engine, is a very good horse and going forwards, hopefully he'll be a graded horse. He has the ability but getting him out of it is the thing.
Last to first as Kilt scores for Tralee jockey Sugrue
I gave Ross his first point-to-point and racecourse winners, and approached him a couple of months ago to turn professional and to join me. Today, I said we would put some finesse into him and told him to ride him stone-last, but to count to 3 before even thinking about challenging. When I came in, I asked Ross did he could to 3, and he said 'no, I counted to 10!'. It is brilliant and special for Ross to ride a winner here, as he is from Tralee.
Mart Lane records first win with decisive Listowel success
This is my second winner from three runners this week and we stepped this horse up in trip today, which was the key to him. I bought him along with a few more with Flat staying pedigrees, as a yearling and while he is out of a Pivotal mare and you'd think he has speed, got done for toe the last day. We stepped him up in trip today, he jumped great and while he is low-grade at 108, is exciting as I think he can climb the ranks. He might even stay three miles. This is my second horse named 'Mart Lane' and is the third one in total. It is a lane just off the N11 after leaving Leopardstown racecourse, and was near where Seamus McGrath trained Arc winner Levmoss. I love the name and the last lad didn't really work out, although he did win a maiden hurdle.
Love Me Tender off the mark over fences on second attempt
he did it very well and I loved the way he was like a cat, dancing in front of the fences and jumping them the way he wanted. It looked as though Harry was just a passenger, and he actually said the same thing. In Galway he was keen but today he learned his lesson and backed off the fences and jumped them when he wanted. He learned from the first day and it was a nice performance. He could be a Drinmore horse in early December as he looked to have that ability today. He doesn't look like a mid-winter type but it is always drier in Fairyhouse, where the ground is like all the festival courses nowadays. We seem to race on really nicer ground now, due to drainage and everything at these tracks. I Will Be Baie (runner-up) came from off the pace and stayed on well, so he has a good outlook.
Berkstar seals Listowel treble for Mullins
He had been showing me plenty at home and I'm very pleased with how he did it. I imagine he might go jumping now rather than going for a winners' bumper, but we'll see. I'll talk to Patrick and he'll tell me what he thinks. I'm very happy for owner Francis Mangan, who has been involved in horses with me in the past, but that's his first runner for me in his own colours. Francis is involved through Aubrey McMahon's Temple Bloodstock and this is nice for him. The runner-up (Eoin McCarthy's Bravemans Call) ran a cracker and looks one for the future too.
