Going - Soft CHANGED to soft to heavy after race 4. Overcast with rain
Jackpot Pool - €14,035.82 Dividend - €9,825.10 Winning Units - .23. Partial Carry Over of €10,815.75 to Gowran Park on Wednesday 20th May. Placepot Pool - €15,757.41 Dividend - €12.20 Winning Units - 903.48. Days Aggregate - €134,585.41 (8 races). Last Year €137,847.26 (7 races).
Belle Of The Ball is light on her feet
She has worked well all spring and had a nice run in the Curragh although we find it strange, given her pedigree, that she is as quick as she is. It is an all-staying pedigree but she shows speed and is quick out of stalls. She has been sharp in all her work and Jessie was keen to run over five (furlongs), with the way she raced at the Curragh. She has surprised us as we didn't think she'd be as early as she is. On pedigree, she should want to go a mile-plus and has a good attitude and is good physically. Ourselves (namely OMEGA RACING), Jason Morris whose daughter Belle gives this filly her name, and an American friend of mine Russell Jones own her in partnership so it is great to pick up the (€50,000 Goffs) bonus too. It is nice to get a winning two-year-old, as they had been running well without winning.
Allsortz travels sweetly for McAteer
To be fair to him, he has grown up and become a man this year. He is getting better and better with every run and is really finding in his races now, and is doing things right. . He is a progressive sprinter, there is more to come as he is only a three-year-old and his half-brother (stablemate Sirocco Sands, finished second) didn't do too bad in the first race. It's funny, I actually think that Allsortz could make a lovely dirt horse as he pings the gates, he finds in his races and also has dirt racing in his pedigree.
Second win for Flynn's sprinter
He is a hell of a lovely horse and it was me who messed up the last day (second at Bellewstown), as I told Robyn to hold him up. Watching that race, I knew I had made a mess. Today, there was a mess-up at the start as the horses slammed against the doors, so he got left a bit. Robyn said she slammed against the gates and then fell back, but eventually got out. He goes on every ground, we bred him ourselves and his dam won here. His brother (Beauty Waves) is a serious horse in Hong Kong and has won a Group 3 over there. This horse will go for something similar now, and he could go six furlongs too.
Two-year-old debutant gives Marnane a double
She is a lovely filly who Amy (Marnane, niece) bought (for €6,500) and my brother Ed recommended the stallion King Of Change, so between the two of them they came up trumps. I personally thought she would be a seven-furlong or a mile filly, but she showed class today. She hadn't done much at home but she had breezed really well, so it wasn't a surprise she won. The third (Desert Alchemist) also ran well as he was giving lots of weight away. It was a lovely first run, he was eye-catching and will be fine.
Coleman's Pacioli opens his account
He is very green and was also green when he ran here a few weeks ago. He missed a lot of last year as he was very weak, so has never even led at home. We thought he'd want better ground, but didn't know really, and all he could do was do what he did. He is a very laid-back horse who gallops away at home, but is a very lazy type of horse. He obviously gets seven furlongs and will now go to the July Sales. We have to trade on these horses and the Atomic Racing ones aren't kept beyond their three-year-old careers. There is plenty of improvement in this horse, as he missed all of last year's education and we didn't even get him away to the Curragh (gallops) this year either. We ran him as these horses really have to be out before Royal Ascot (in June) to be worth any money.
Second Cork victory for LL Koulsty
He had a grand run here the last day and we were happy when 'heavy' came into today's going description (after the fourth race). He stays a mile but I think he is better over seven (furlongs) and he relaxed fine with the cheekpieces off. We initially had thought of him as a Madrid Handicap-type horse, but in February we brought him to Newcastle for the all-weather over a mile, which didn't work, but thankfully he is running a lot better back on turf. We will come back here during Royal Ascot as there is a nice handicap for him, when he'll be in off a light weight in a better race.
Carmel's Phoenix rises to the occasion
She is a good filly and it is good to get her maiden win out of the way. She ran very well in a Listed race here in April and 1m4f is definitely as short as she wants. The rain came in time, Gary was brilliant on her and got her switched off. He knows her well. I'm delighted for Pat (McCarthy, breeder and joint-owner) and John Young (joint-owner), who can't be here, and she is a nice filly to look forward to. She is a fine, big strong filly who we can go anywhere with.
Deuteronomy back to winning ways for the Burns family
He is a lovely little horse, he is special to us and I'm delighted for Tony (McLoughlin, owner) who is a great help to me. He is competitive down in this 0-60 grade and was only beaten a length in this race last year. A big thanks to Conor O'Dwyer for ringing me early this morning to say his horse was a non-runner, so we got in as third reserve.
