Going - Hurdle/Bumper: soft to heavy. Chase: soft, soft to heavy in places.. Overcast
Jackpot Pool - €366.92 Not Won. Carried forward to Fairyhouse on Tuesday 5th November. Placepot Pool - €35,455.92 Dividend - €650.90 Winning Units - 38.13. Days Aggregate - €147,331.00 Last Year
Tiger Voice wins Cork's opener
he did it the hard way in the end and it seemed messy early on. He didn't jump the last two amazingly but kept going well and he was really good. He was disappointing last year but when you stand in to him he is a big horse and is only filling out now. It definitely wasn't my best placing performance running him at Tipperary (behind yesterday's Grade B hurdle winner Janidil) but I just wanted to get him out and decided to kick on so it was nice to get back to his own age and he didn't have a winners' penalty either. There is a 4yo only winners' race at the end of the month for him at Gowran and that is a possible.
De Bromhead & Blackmore win opening two races at Cork
she (Minella Melody) did it the hard way, jumped brilliant and Rachael was delighted with her and she will come on plenty for the run. I thought it was a good race going in to it and all week I was wondering did I have her fit enough. She'll come on plenty for it if she did happen to win here today, I was hoping to aim for the 2m4f Listed Voler La Vedette Novice Hurdle at Punchestown in December. There are a lot of good mares around at the moment but hopefully we'll be there with them.
Fahey & Doyle register first Listed wins
she deserved that as she had been second in two Listed races before and when she hits the front she runs around the place. She didn't seem to have too hard of a race there, did it well and that's her trip and ground. There is a race back here in three weeks time or we might freshen her up and bring her back to Limerick. There are plenty of options. If she won (the Listed race at Limerick) last year I wouldn't have her as she'd definitely have been retired! We're delighted to have her again this year and Ricky knows her inside out. She runs around a good bit and she'd never look like she is travelling and he gave her a great ride.
Hayes rides Grade 3 winner for Champion Trainer
he continually surprises us as he doesn't do an awful lot at home but he has a fantastic pedigree and is by Presenting. Brian deserves a lot of credit because he got the horse jumping spectacularly well in front. Brian won a beginners chase on him at Tipperary and that's what got him on him today and he is a very under-rated jockey. He comes in two or three work morning a week to us. I don't where we go now but obviously to all those Grade 2 or Grade 1 chases. He hadn't been an easy horse to train in his early career and didn't run until he was six. He is more mature now and is taking his training better.
O'Keeffe rides out claim in Cork National win
I always thought he'd win a big pot but recently I thought it was slipping away on him. It arrived now and we'll take it and he has been a good servant. I don't know was today a plan as he was to run at Clonmel on Thursday but I rang Frank and said we'd better put him in the Cork National and see, so it was the right decision. I was talking to Enda Bolger (trainer and O'Keeffe's employer) at a point-to-point earlier today and he said to me 'that young fellow is looking forward to riding him today', although he must have known more than I knew!. He is a good kid and you'd have winners if you had him.
McManus completes Cork double with gambled winner
that was great. I thought he'd go close after a nice run the last day. He can't jump fences properly unfortunately. He got a good ride.
Queally's unbeaten Star to be kept to bumpers this season
that's a relief because there was a lot of pressure coming into the race and I said beforehand she was only 80% ready and she looked a bit heavy in the parade ring. She will improve a lot from this and today was the prep race for a Listed bumper at Navan in three weeks time and the fact she has gone and won it is a bonus. She is a good mare. She is a brilliant jumper but she'll stay in bumpers this season and go hurdling next year.
