Going - Yielding to Soft (hurdle), Yielding, Good to Yielding in places (chase) - hurdle track soft afterR1, chase course Yielding to Soft, Soft in places before R3. Raining
Jackpot Pool - €348.64 Not Won. Carried forward to Gowran Park on Thursday 22nd January. Placepot Pool - €23,552.61 Dividend - €300.60 Winning Units - 54.83. Days Aggregate - €143,820.45 Last Year €111,262.92
Crawford off the mark with 125/1 shot Hope
I got my licence there in the middle of December, so it has been a long time coming! I thought I might be able to click before now, but sure we got there in the end. I'm not one for dissing jockeys, but the ride that Danny gave him was the ride he was supposed to get the last day. I was concerned about the rain coming, but he seemed to cope with it. I'm a bit of an outcast, I'm down in County Armagh!. I've had point-to-point winners. I've been a satellite yard for Stuart (Crawford, brother) for a few years and now I've branched out. I've about 20 horses in.
Stuart Crawford strikes with Jony
He ran in a graded race at Haydock and wasn't out of his depth. He was going to be third or fourth when he fell at the last. First-time hood was on because he was keen when he won here in November. We could try another graded race and he is one that could travel - we will go where we can get winners!. Great to see Ross (brother) winning the first, that horse had form in point-to-points.
Beeton bounces back to form
Keith hadn't ridden a winner in a while, so he probably got to the front sooner than he would normally and she had a look at it!. It was (a proper mistake two out) - she's a great jumper, I'd say she just had a look. We are just getting to know her. We put the cheekpieces on because over 2m4f in Cork she looked like she was labouring. I'd say just the run brought her on. Delighted for Kieran Corrigan, he was a great friend of John Clarke - Marian Finucane's husband - and they had the mare together. When he passed, Kieran took her over. She is a great jumper, so we could go for a rated beginners' or something. I'd say in the spring she will be alright on better ground.
Sparring lands knockout punch late on
He was unlucky, he fell at the first in Navan and he had a loose school around and jumped every hurdle perfect. That boy gave him a cracking ride - if you have him in behind horses, he will dive at them (hurdles), so he had him out and he measured everything. He jumped great. He had been off before Navan with minor problems, and he needs soft/heavy ground anyway. He has (plenty of back form), he was second a couple of times and he fell at Naas at the last when he might have won. I'd say he would come on from that.
Slevin doubles up on Anotherway
I said to JJ beforehand that (finishing third in) Limerick did his confidence the power of good - I know it was at a level. We did think an awful lot of him to start with and I know they did in Willie's (Mullins) as well. It is great to have him getting his head in front. He travelled well all the time previously and you would let go, and there would be nothing. I don't know what has changed, but it is working anyway!
Shanroe rallies gamely to gain follow up win
In fairness, he battled it out well and hit the line well. the main thing was to get a bit of experience over fences.
Lyreen gives Kennedy another reason to cheer
He was tough, jumped great. This sort of track and that ground, he loves that ground
