Going - Hurdle & Bumper: Soft to Heavy (Heavy after 1st race) Chase: Heavy. Overcast and showery
Jackpot Pool - €30,801.27 Dividend - €1,540.00 Winning Units - 14. Placepot Pool - €68,499.04 Dividend - €110.20 Winning Units - 434.88. Pick Six Pool - €79,014.50 Not Won. Carried forward to Leopardstown on Tuesday 29th December. Days Aggregate - €650,319.00 Last Year €561,781.00
Chain Gang wins on debut over flights
We're very happy. He's extremely tough. I'd say going up in trip would be no problem and even back in trip a little. He's a lovely horse and bred to be very good over hurdles. Hopefully it's onwards and upwards from here and he might appreciate a bit better ground. We're absolutely chuffed as I'd say it was a decent maiden hurdle. Looking at Gordon Elliott's horse (Tombstone) last time in Down Royal it would have been impossible to beat him but it would have been nice to finish a bit closer. He's has plenty of options now and he's just a proper horse I'd say.
Forever takes Gold under Timmons for Cawley
He's a dour stayer. That's what he is. I ran him in the Porterstown and was thinking 'will he get the trip'. I thought he should and he got it very well I thought. Had they raced a bit stronger then I think he might have collected. They only went a hack and he tanked along. He had a great weight today and got a great ride from Chris. Staying won it for him. We thought all along he could win a half decent race and he's been knocking on the door. I'll probably go back chasing with him. I had picked out the Grand National trial at Punchestown at the end of January. He's not a good traveller so for that reason we'll avoid going over the water. He's probably not high enough to get into Irish National but I see him going for it some day.
Zabana makes winning start over fences
“I was afraid of the ground but he was fit and well. He is going to come on a bit from that,”
Progressive Prince wins Christmas Hurdle
I thought he'd run well but didn't think he'd be good enough to beat them as he's still a big rakey horse. I'm delighted to get the win as we've hit the crossbar a few times over the last few days. He's a big massive horse and when he jumps a fence I'd say he'll come into his own. It's nice to pick that up on the way. I told Davy to follow them around and try and pick up a bit of prize-money. He's a big honest stayer. I actually won a bumper on the dam (Spirit Leader). He's a nice horse. I thought we would come here, run a nice race and then go to Gowran for the Galmoy. I don't know where we'll go now. I'm not sure if he'd be a stayers horse on ground a bit drier. I'd say he wouldn't want it on the better side of good. We'll think about it but we might save him for next year. Whatever he does he'll make a smashing chaser. When he came to me I was told to mind him and give him a couple of runs as he was a horse to go chasing.
Wontgobyu takes novice handicap in style
“The ground suited and everything went well,”
Don does enough in the Lexus
He never shows off, he just does what he has to do. I'm delighted, he is a very lazy horse and in those conditions today things were very tough. He was probably getting a bit tired but when the others came at him he kept pulling it out. It is hard to know how good he is and how much more he will produce. I was very happy with him. Bryan said he was lazy and he thought he was in trouble going to the last but he picked up again and went on. I always have confidence in him that he can do that and I think Bryan is getting confidence in him now. We'll have to think about the Hennessy but that was tough coming back so soon after his first run. I'll chat to the owners but he's had two tough races now. It was his first senior Grade 1 and I don't think too many people will be shortening for the Gold Cup after that. Would the bare form of that race win the Gold Cup. I don't know. I was a bit disappointed with Sir Des Champs. On His Own ran a cracker, I think he is better off with blinkers from now on. I don't know what direction I'm going to go with him but he will get an entry in the Gold Cup.
Gamble landed with Gurteen
We've always liked him and he's a very well bred horse. He won his point-to-point very easily and probably didn't learn a lot then. He got some nice experience the last day and seemed to come on from the run. He'll probably go back over hurdles now. We were hoping for some rain coming here so it would be loose. We came up here to avoid the real deep ground in Limerick.
