Going - Yielding. Fine
Jackpot Pool - €13,526.24 Dividend - €584.40 Winning Units - 16.2. Placepot Pool - €111,040.56 Dividend - €275.20 Winning Units - 282.39. Pick Six Pool - €5,207.00 Not Won. Carried forward to Punchestown on Sunday 9th February. Days Aggregate - €524,337.00 Last Year €479,065.00
Elliott lands another big handicap with Black Tears
She's a great honest mare. She's been to every dog fight and she deserved that. She has been placed around Cheltenham and placed in numerous graded races so it's nice she got her day in the sun. It's great for Caren and Aidan Walsh, who are great supporters of the yard, and for Johnny Lightfoot who owns her as well. That was a brilliant pot. She's got a good pedigree so she's a valuable broodmare as well. Davy gave her a good ride as well. He was probably lucky he got the split up the inside.
A Wave Of The Sea lands dramatic Spring Hurdle
It looked like it was going to be a great tussle out to the line between Henry's horse and Cerberus. Unfortunately he fell but seems up okay. I'm delighted that the two horses ran with a lot of credit. Barry took his time, saved all his energy and he came and picked up all the pieces late. It looked like Cerberus was fighting with Aspire Tower out over the last and when he fell he just had a look up and probably saw the stands and everything and stopped in front. Mark said when the other horses came past him he stayed on again but it was just too late.
Asterion Forlonge storms home in Chanelle Pharma
I'm surprised and I'm delighted. I had him down as a two-mile-and-six or three mile horse. The last day he won at Naas was a mile-and-seven. I had a three-mile horse down in Cork and he got beaten so I said to myself 'now I've this fella in the wrong race over two'. It looks like I'm wrong and he's a two-miler. He has a huge cruising speed and I said to Danny 'go out and make the running, you're not making it for our other two you're making it for yourself so try and get the fractions right'. He's never fast at home but he obviously covers a huge amount of ground and can keep that gallop up for two miles flat out. Looking like that he looked like he could be a Supreme Novice horse and that was the furthest thing from my mind three weeks ago. We'll see what happens. I think this fella can stay, I think he's easy enough to ride. I always had him down as a stayer. If the owner has something else for the Supreme we can chat it out.
Brouder shines again on Treacysenniscorthy
There's plenty of us have come to follow him today so it's a great day. To even have a runner up here at a meeting like this, for a small stable, is phenomenal. To come here with a chance and then win is what you dream of. He's a chaser, that is what he is. He won a novice chase and we decided to go back over hurdles and try and win a hurdle with him. He just kept improving and that's why we've kept him over hurdles. We'll have a look at Cheltenham but the handicapper will have his say now so we'll have to see if he puts him up too much.
Faugheen records special win in Flogas Novice Chase
“It’s probably one of the most special winners that I’ve ever had. “I should have sent him over fences last year and I got sidetracked. I didn’t want to retire him without going over fences as that is what we bought him for. Look what he can do now at 12. I should have gone earlier but there you are. “People want to retire horses at 10, 11 or 12 but to me they have plenty of life in them if they haven’t used up the mileage as younger horses. “They can go much longer than people think and he’s the living proof of it. “He’s got stamina, he’s got speed, he can jump. He’s got the whole package and a will (to win) a bit like Un De Sceaux. They both want to train and get at the job, and you are really trying to not let them do too much. They have a huge attitude to racing and training. “I would have been gutted if he was beaten today. A lot of people think if you take him on he will fold but he’s after showing in his last three races that he doesn’t. “I’m going to enjoy today and we’ll leave any plans for another day.”
Delta Work provides Elliott & Kennedy 1st Irish Gold Cup
The last couple of seasons he’s improved with races. We missed here last year and went straight to Cheltenham which might not have been ideal.
Duke battles to land big pot for Gilligan
It's great to get a first Leopardstown winner. He's a good horse,. He's 17-3 and I had the chance of selling him a few times. I possibly should have sold him but I said he's too good to sell and he'd win a win a big pot some day. My wife Natalie owns him and it's all down to our young lads at home, they're fantastic. It's a small yard battling to stay going and I'm lucky that our young lads ride out in the morning before they go to school and during the summer. He's going to be a better horse next year I'd say as he's still not fully filled out. We'll enjoy today and look forward. I hoping he'll make into an Irish National horse. He'll probably go to Cheltenham for one of the amateur races. I have him entered in the National Hunt Chase, I don't know whether we'll go or not. It's just unfortunate one of my own lads wasn't riding him today but that said Conor gave him a fantastic ride. Liam can't do the weight and has gone back amateur. Our second lad Jack can't ride over fences yet, until he's 17. Conor gave him a super ride. Liam could ride him in Cheltenham but I think he needs a winner over fences. He's only had four winners over fences. We'll have to try and find a winner somewhere for him over fences.
Darling Daughter makes it a 1,364/1 treble for Elliott
She quickened well a furlong down and she gallops. She improved nicely from Limerick. She'll have an entry in the Cheltenham bumper anyway and we'll see. Jamie (Codd, rider of Bigbadandbeautiful) said the other mare was too keen and done too much the whole way, she'll be grand. She'll go back to the Flat.
