Going - Hurdle - Heavy Chase - Soft to Heavy, heavy in places. Bright and cold
Jackpot Pool - 626.47 Dividend - 310.90 Winning Units - 1.43. Placepot Pool - 27,061.48 Dividend - 43.70 Winning Units - 432.98. Days Aggregate - 177,282.08 (8 races). Last Year 165,377.47 (7 races).
Grade 1 winner Zenta lands Fairyhouse's opener
Donoghue delivers with another low-weighted winner
he probably wouldn’t have won at Down Royal the last day but was running well until he made a mistake at a crucial stage. He’s a big awkward oul divil, he has legs everywhere and at Down Royal the third-last and second-last were taken out and he missed the fourth-last. It then took him forever to get going. Even over hurdles he’d always give you the odd fright but he jumped brilliantly today, bar the one before the ditch. He probably has more respect for a fence. We might drop him back in trip as he travels well and we’ll see what the handicapper does.
McManus-winner enjoys rub of the green
Consecutive wins for Collaborative
Good To Be Alive gives Bective a second breeding success
he’s a home-bred and we thought he was a bit weak so he’ll probably come on a bit from the run today but it was nice to win. He’s a horse that’s improving and he might not be the worst horse in the world. It’s not ideal winning a maiden hurdle at this time of the year but it’s still not a bad complaint. We’ll have to try and find a novice hurdle for him somewhere.
McManus and Mullins combine for Fairyhouse trebles
that was grand. She jumped well and you could only be pleased with the way she did it. She handled the ground well. She got a bit tired from the last hurdle in Naas first-time, when something nabbed her but the experience didn’t go astray. It was a grand race to get for her and Mark was pleased with her. We’ll see where we end up and see what Willie thinks. She’s going the right way.
Donoghue completes double with maiden Mickie Angel
I thought I’d have won with him before now but I got it wrong the last day, we rode him too positively and he was too keen. He loved that ground and in or around that trip is ideal for him. He looks like a horse that will jump a fence: a big staying horse. It’s nice to win a race with him.
Owner/trainer Cawley wins with Chosen Diamond
we’re a long time trying to get his head in front over hurdles and he’s not a baby at this stage. I was saying if he wasn’t in the frame today we’d just got back chasing as we might have some chance. He works well but has disappointed us a few days although was unlucky last year on a couple of days. Philip Byrnes gave him a great spin today and actually beat him two runs, so he knew what he was riding. He kept him out on a bit of the fresher ground as along the rail it was very tacky and chopped up in there. He really had to empty the tank from the last home to get there. I didn’t think he was going to get there but it’s great to get it. There is no plan but we’ll find something for him.