Going - Good to yielding CHANGED to Yielding after 3rd race. Fine
Jackpot Pool - €6,652.44 Dividend - €350.70 Winning Units - 13.28. Placepot Pool - €19,774.22 Dividend - €133.40 Winning Units - 103.73. Days Aggregate - €177,540.31 Last Year €150,448.59
Wizard casts a spell on claiming race rivals
The owners decided that we’d go back to a claimer to try and get his head in front and it mightn’t have been the worst race in the world. The trip was obviously a worry, going up to 1m4f, but I thought after the last day, at the Curragh over a mile, he looked to be on his head all the way. Colin said he got the trip no bother there which is great as it opens a few more options. I'm delighted for his owners Lorna Honan and her husband Chris Fennessy, while his other owner Ronnie Quinn didn't make it, as he unfortunately got stuck in traffic.
Step up in trip sees Lord Aus make the breakthrough
He was very small and narrow at the start of the year so he took a bit of organising. He was fresh and messing in the stalls the last day but is getting it together now. He is bred to stay and he stayed on well at Down Royal so I think 1m4f is a good trip for him. Ben said the ground felt a little tacky for him and that he would prefer better but it was pretty straightforward and he gave him a beautiful ride. He won like I thought he would as he improved from last week. I won't be in any rush with him and it is great to have a horse in training for Homely Equines, and it is their first winner with me.
Res Ipsa lands short odds to give Keane early double
Sometimes you can get carried away with the pedigrees so the horses have this weight on their shoulders, so I just wanted to place this one to tick the maiden box, and to stop thinking of him as a good horse. At the minute, he is just a 'horse' and he did this the way you'd expect him to do it. A mile is a good fit for him and he is very much a work in progress. We'll see how he goes, but it will be baby steps until he proves otherwise. (Third-placed) Camino Lad ran well and it was a great bit of handicapping! It took him a while to get him started and he is a nice horse but is raw as hell. Hopefully he can build on this.
Monvoe back to winning ways under Holohan
He has really turned the corner this year as he was a nightmare last year. He had been free and wasn't racing properly, but for some reason with a winter under his belt, he has come back a different horse and is racing properly. I think the faster the ground the better he is and even today, that ground is slower than he'd like. He is a fine big horse and you'd be thinking he can only improve further. Darren Dwyer bought him and fair play to him, as I'm lucky to have such a lovely horse. I entered him for a 1m1f €100,000 three-year-old handicap at the Curragh on Derby Day and he'll go there next.
Java Wood lunges late to give Colin Keane Limerick treble
He had recent form on ground which wasn't ideal and over distances which were too short, and I've been waiting for today's ground for a while.
Imnotleavinyou gets off the mark under Wesley Joyce
She was second three times and I thought the last day we rode her a little wrong as we forced her a little early. She has plenty of gears so we decided we’d ride her different tonight. We have her declared for Friday night and we’ll probably run her as she’s in good form. Her owners are from all over, and one is actually from Limerick but is on holidays in Spain. There are groups from Dublin and Mayo as well, and they are good decent lads.
Unfamiliar hangs on to give Kevin Smith Limerick brace
She is a grand filly and like my earlier winner, I've been waiting for soft ground for her. I knew the ground had been too quick for her so was waiting to see what she'd do on soft. Chris (Hayes) said she saw out the trip well but that she was pulling herself up. My father (Kevin senior) owns this filly and I have 10 horses at the moment but, unfortunately, I don't really have any paying owners as they are home-owned. Both Peadar (Kelly, owner of earlier winner Java Wood) and my dad are my two owners so I'd love to get more but it is very hard to attract new ones. To be honest, I just don't know what to do or how to get new owners. I'm based in Kilmessan, Co Meath.
Our Lucky Lady justifies favouritism in Limerick nightcap
She is quite keen at home and was very buzzy in the yard here, so she was very keen today. We had hoped to hold her up but in fairness to Jessica, she got hold of her going up the hill, which was important, as if you bolt going up a hill you're in bother. My daughter Emma is marrying Daniel in Athy on Friday and, some time ago, I said we'd better get something towards the cost of the wedding. We got this filly to win the last day and Emma said to run her again, so this will help towards some part of it!
