Going - Good, Good to Yielding in places - Changed to GOOD after race 2. Overcast
Jackpot Pool - €311.97 Not Won. Carried forward to Fairyhouse on Thursday 29th May. Placepot Pool - €17,763.28 Dividend - €3,889.40 Winning Units - 3.21. Days Aggregate - €101,252.76 (8 races). Last Year €91,616.76 (7 races).
Beacon Edge lands the odds after leader unseats
We knew the trip was too short and he was flat out the whole way. Looking at it live, I thought the horse in front probably had it won, but Josh said he wasn't stopping and was galloping and it's a good run from the last to the line here. We got a bit of luck on our side and that's the most important thing. Josh is a good lad and we'll be using him a lot next year. He's after spending a year with us and is after getting loads of experience. He's a good lad and is going to ride a lot of winners going forward. If he gets claimed, he gets claimed. If not, he's in the sales tomorrow. He has done his job, he is 142 and is hard to place.
Money-spinner Sunchart obliges in Wexford
He seems to be improving over hurdles. The handicapper was probably kind to us, I don't know if he'll be kind to us after that. He must have been around 125 as it was a rated race and he was around 5lb off the top. The Willie Mullins horse (Gaucher) who beat him in Tipperary is rated in the high 140s and there was only half-a-length between them. He is probably not as good over hurdles, but he won't run over them much. The problem is that he can't go on firm ground, as you saw the last day. I'd say Pat (Garvey, owner) would prefer if he never ran over hurdles. He is after winning the Devoy Stakes (In Naas) the last two years and he's a very good horse around Naas. I'd say that was a nice race today and I know where I'd love to go with him now, but Pat mightn't let me. He probably wouldn't get into the Galway Hurdle, but I'd love to go there. He won't be running much over hurdles though. He'll be going back to Naas or Leopardstown towards the end of the year and we'll be hoping for soft ground. He's just been a good horse for us and the first day he ever ran he was beaten into second by Santiago. From day one he has just been a good horse and we could do with another few like him.
Onebrightbluerose in full bloom at Wexford again
She's in foal to Mahler and I think she'll be able to run until August. I put everything on her, cheekpieces, blinkers and then I put the stallion on her as well! . She was placed the first day I ran her after she was covered, she only barely beaten in a chase at Tramore. I'm told covering doesn't improve 80% of mares, but we hadn't much of a choice the way she was running.
Door opens for Hatfield Hammer
He had been running well and had a bit of a break. It's great to get a winner and I thought he wanted further. Jordan gave him a lovely ride, he dropped him out and took his time early on.
Avalo wins decisively under Coen
He was probably crying out for a bit of good ground the whole time. He was working really well at home and it's great for Seamus Perry who is a big part of the team at home. He owns a good bit of him with my wife Ber. He'll be a nice horse to go along with for the summer. We were definitely happy with the non-runners, it made things a bit easier for us. He ran a cracker the first day in a four-year-old maiden hurdle, but we never got to build from it as he had little issues and my horses probably weren't the healthiest last season. He just wasn't running up to scratch.
Step up in trip sees Lieutenant Mayne come home clear
He is a very, very nice horse and we always thought he was. He lost his way a bit during the winter. He had a few little issues that we sorted out. He just ground it out at Chepstow and just stayed. It was a small field, but it wasn't a bad race there and all he did was stay. I was confident the three miles today would be up his street. He is really nice and is only a six-year-old. Gordon's horse (Elliott, Ash Tree Meadow) probably has other targets, but he could still only do what he did and he did it very nicely. It's like he is on springs, he is some jumper - he is really exciting. I must say a special thanks to the McNeill and Stone families as they wouldn't be big fans of keeping them in training this long, but I kind of insisted that he'd stay in and at least have one more run. He'll probably have a little break now and we'll probably go chasing with him but we'll see.
Arnacoeur puts it all together in Wexford
He ran a cracker in Naas two runs ago and then he had a shocking run in Kilbeggan the last day, I've no idea why. He is a funny horse and has to do everything his own way. On his Naas run he was entitled to do that really. That was a race up to 110 and it was a better race than today. He stays well and has to be ridden that way. With the small field today, he didn't have to pass too many. He had loads to pass in Naas and he just couldn't get by them all. He'll keep going all summer and there should be another one or two in him if he gets smaller fields and learns to relax a bit. He is a funny one.
Strong Link too tough for the favourite in the bumper
It's a great local winner because I bought him off Jamie Codd, my brother-in-law. Billy, Jamie's father, bred him and my sister Robyn is here too. He is owned by a good man from Laois, John Rowney. He had winter form and he handles a bit of nice ground so it's lovely to have him. He is a nice-moving horse and he'll stay going once the ground is safe over the summer.
