Smith rides first professional winner in Sligo's claimer

James got his amateur license last year and has had two bumper winners. I wouldn't have enough opportunities for him as an amateur and don't have many bumper horses, so he decided to get his conditional license two or three months ago. He's a good young lad who's with me the whole time and works hard. this horse had been frustrating at times but has ability and he'd been running well on the Flat lately. James rode him the last day and felt he should have made more use of him, so he knew what he was going to do today.

Altruistic off the mark at stud in dramatic Sligo hurdle

she won her point-to-point on nice ground and she'd gallop all day. Those loose horses can go anywhere and our lead horse was having a bit of a look a at hurdles too which wasn't a help. I was happy to pick it up at the second-last, or last hurdle really, and she was game and honest for me. Hopefully she can go on from here.

McConnell & Harvey continue their winning ways

Lisnamult Lad is an odd sort of horse. He relaxes really well at home and is a very good ride, but when he get to the races he seems to get really lit up. He hung quite badly the last day for no reason, he'd never done it before. I said today that I'd pop out and try not get in a fight with him and see what happened from there. We went a good gallop over the first couple of hurdles and then he came back to me and I got a nice breather into him. He hit the line really well and hopefully can build on this. He might appreciate going further but we're going to have to teach him to settle first, and maybe a bigger track might help him to do that.

Stilyker strikes for the Mullins machine

I wasn't going to complicate it and making the running was the most straightforward thing to do. He was very keen with Jack (Foley) the last day, trying to settle him in behind horses. Today we knew he was fit coming here and, on that good ground, there was no point fighting him. I just let him roll away and jump away and he enjoyed himself. He had to pull out a bit more because there were horses coming to him and, in fairness, he stuck his head down and galloped well to the line.

Destiny delivers with a second Sligo success

Trainer Cusack completes first double

it's my first double, it's hard enough to get one winner, so I'm delighted. It's great to see the horses running consistently and to have three winners in a few days is brilliant.

Quevega's daughter delivers on debut

she's like her mother, quite small and short but she's a strong barrel of a mare. Both times down the bottom of the track she fell asleep with me. She lost a couple of lengths the first time, I didn't mind as I was going a gallop, but the second time I was having to slap her down the shoulder six or seven times, but once we got upsides horses she locked on. My only worry in the last furlong was that she was looking at everything and that she might jam on, but she won with lots in hand. She's not the flashiest at home but I think she's probably better than her work and I think there's more there in the tank, she's one that will keep giving. I don't know what the plan will be now, but it's fantastic to wear these colours. It's nice, after winning on one of Annie Power's (Mystical Power), to get one of Quevega's and we have one of Augusta Kate's coming along as well.