Black Tears seals Grade 3 honours

Panda Boy 'a pleasant surprise' for Brassil

That was a pleasant surprise. I’ve been waiting all winter to get a bit of nice ground to run him as he’s just a big, leggy, weak horse and is really only after starting to furnish the last six weeks. It’s hard to know what you will meet in these maiden hurdles and maybe we were lucky to come across a more moderate one. His future is probably over fences and he’s by a sire who gets stayers, Valirann. It’s lovely for the owners. Andy Geraghty bought this horse at the sales for his cousin Pat McBennett and Enda Buckley. We’ll find another hurdle race before the end of the season and see what that tells us.

Elliott and Kennedy double up with Papal Lodge

Coach Carter a third winner on day for Elliott and Kennedy

Atlantic Shore enjoys a Punchestown trip

Brian said he’s never travelled as well and he can be a bit moody. Hopefully we can keep him in that frame of mind. The plan is to go for the Leinster National at Naas on Sunday week and hopefully we’ll get some rain before then. The Irish National might come into the reckoning but it’s step by step. The weather will decide. He failed to win a maiden hurdle but his handicap mark is so much better over hurdles. He’s a chaser really.

Stockdale benefits from step up in trip

I went very wide the whole way - I thought I was too wide, but it probably ended up being the best position as it was lovely fresh ground. In fairness to the mare she toughed it out and hopefully she can continue to progress in the future. She has just improved with every run. The last day she ran here she was a wee bit novicey jumping. She jumped a bit better there today. Bit further just helped with her jumping. Even though her price said 50/1 we did expect her to run respectable. I thought she would finish closer to Gordon's mare (Humble Glory) but I wasn't expecting her to win to be honest. Her jumping was a bit slicker there today and the trip has obviously helped her too. Jonny was saying the ground wasn't just as dead as you might have expected. He rode wide the whole way which was probably a help to her too. I think she would be better on a wee bit of better ground.

Hilltop Supreme in dominant form

We’ll see what the handicapper does and find another race like that. I expected that and he’s turned a corner. He’s been very unlucky over fences (brought down at Down Royal last time) and he’d a couple of bad falls as a youngster. We’ll stay hurdling for the moment.

Mighty Potter makes it a 122/1 four-timer for Elliott