Cheltenham Tue, 11th Mar, 2025  Kopek Des Bordes I met his brother earlier and I said ‘I would love to win it for the O’Sullivan family’. We’ll enjoy it, we’re from County Cork, the O’Sullivans and myself, and it’s a wonderful occasion. Coming to the last Paul just said he was looking up at the stands, looking at the last and looking everywhere. He said he just lost concentration and missed it, but he picked up and galloped all the way to the Hunters Lodge. I think going a faster pace helps his jumping. He is able to go faster, we didn’t know that before Leopardstown, but we saw it then and again today. It’s nice to get the first one on the board, a huge relief. We have a good team today, we were hoping we would get one and hope for another one as well. To have it is a great relief.

Navan Sat, 1st Mar, 2025  Swing Davis Sam thought he might have had Danny (Gilligan on Speculatrix) covered but no doubt Danny will say the same when I talk to him. They are there to be jumped and it was unfortunate for Speculatrix, but Danny and her are up. We will see where we go with Swing Davis, we will see if we can get a bit of black-type with her: she already has it in bumpers.

Punchestown Thu, 20th Feb, 2025  Springt De La Mare He jumped really well and it was a good performance. I was just saying to Keith there that we couldn’t win a maiden hurdle with him, but he’s taken to this better. He jumps really well and got through that ground well. He won his bumper and looked like he was going to be very smart, but he just lost his way a little bit in the middle part of his career. Hopefully, we’re back on track. The handicapper will have a bit of a say with that. He doesn’t qualify for some of the bigger handicaps yet, with only two runs, so I’m not really sure where we go now. This was the only race for him and it’s very hard to place those horses.

Fairyhouse Wed, 5th Feb, 2025  Karoline Banbou 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.

Leopardstown Sun, 2nd Feb, 2025  Kopek Des Bordes The horse was very keen and free the whole way, but Paul just let him have his head going down to his hurdles and he jumped way better than Christmas. We did a lot of schooling with him since the last day. When he looked to be in a lovely position then the loose horse set him mad. Paul had to yank him back, but he still put in a huge jump in at the second last. I think he’ll have no trouble jumping fences after that. It was a tremendous performance. This horse didn’t walk like you would like one to walk at the sales, but we took a chance on him with his page. I don’t see any need to go up in trip because he’s going to need a very fast pace in his races.

Leopardstown Sun, 2nd Feb, 2025  Kopek Des Bordes The horse was very keen and free the whole way, but Paul just let him have his head going to his hurdles and he’s jumped way better than Christmas. We did a lot of schooling with him since the last day. He’s put him in a lovely position, then the loose horse came and I knew what was going to happen, it set him mad as Paul doesn’t usually go on three furlongs out. The loose horse then ran wide at the second-last and Paul had to yank him back, but he still put in a huge jump at it. You’d think he’d have no trouble jumping fences after that. It was a tremendous performance. We thought he was good enough to win a bumper and win his hurdles, but you never know if a horse is this good. They’re Grade One material and very few horses show you that at home. They don’t show me anyway, I don’t ask them that many questions and let them show it on the racecourse. This fellow was a beautiful horse at the sales, he didn’t walk the way you’d probably want one to walk but with his pedigree, age, the scope and size of him, we took a chance on him. I don’t see any need to go up in trip because he’s going to need a very fast pace in his races.

Fairyhouse Thu, 16th Jan, 2025  Springt De La Mare he couldn’t win a hurdle race but he jumped very well for his first run over fences and just looks like a chaser. It’s nice to get a win with him again, everything went nicely for him. I just don’t know how much further he’d want: we tried going up in trip with him but he didn’t stay. I wouldn’t be afraid to go a little bit further but I don’t know if he’s a three-miler, maybe in time he will be. I’ve no plan, we’ll see what the handicapper does and maybe look at a novice handicap.

Punchestown Sun, 12th Jan, 2025  Salvator Mundi We know he can jump but he didn’t jump well today because I couldn’t let him. He had to dig in then off the bend on tacky ground in the straight. He had to find plenty, it’s hard to be impressive on that ground but at least he won. He’ll have to build on it but I think he will. He has gears and on that ground it’s hard to use gears to the best effect. I’d say a stronger run race on looser ground, wetter ground even, would be a help to him. The engine is massive. After half a mile I thought this horse can’t win on his first run in six months when he’s pulling like that on heavy ground. Because he was keen Paul didn’t want to let him jump and he didn’t jump, so he’d every reason to get beaten and still won. It looked to me like he took a blow after the second-last and you could see Paul went down and gave him a squeeze and came with a run down to the last. He kept everything tight down to the last and there should be a lot of improvement there. I think in a faster run race, being let jump, he’ll improve. Paul couldn’t let him jump today because he would have been even keener and jumping his way to the front. I wouldn’t be worried about his jumping in a stronger run race. I think he’s probably had a hard race today and I wouldn’t be surprised if he went straight to Cheltenham.

Fairyhouse Wed, 1st Jan, 2025  Allegorie De Vassy It was nice performance from her. She enjoyed being in front today and Paul said she just enjoyed her jumping and galloping,. Even with the 24mm of rain they had here the ground needed it all. It’s still not real winter heavy or anything like that and she enjoyed that nice bit of ground. She put in some super jumps and I’m very happy with her. We’ll possibly look at the Opera Hat next at Naas, it’s down in trip which wouldn’t be ideal but it’s a mares race.

Fairyhouse Wed, 1st Jan, 2025  Allegorie De Vassy It was nice performance from her. She enjoyed being in front today and Paul said she just enjoyed her jumping and galloping,. Even with the 24mm of rain they had here the ground needed it all. It’s still not real winter heavy or anything like that and she enjoyed that nice bit of ground. She put in some super jumps and I’m very happy with her. We’ll possibly look at the Opera Hat next at Naas, it’s down in trip which wouldn’t be ideal but it’s a mares’ race.

Leopardstown Thu, 26th Dec, 2024  Kopek Des Bordes It was a very good performance considering he got unsighted at the first and Patrick said it just unnerved him for the rest of the race. He didn’t jump properly, he’s a way better jumper than that. I’m hoping there is a lot of improvement in his jumping. He looks a tip-top animal. We’ve always thought a fair bit of him. He’d want to brush up his jumping, but he’d look like one that could maybe come back here for a Grade One at the Dublin Racing Festival. He looks to have that type of an engine.

Leopardstown Thu, 26th Dec, 2024  Kopek Des Bordes It was a very good performance considering he got unsighted at the first and Patrick said it just unnerved him for the rest of the race,. He didn't jump properly, he's a way better jumper than that. I'm hoping that there is a lot of improvement in his jumping. He looks a tip top animal. We've always thought a fair bit of him. He'd want to brush up his jumping but he'd look like one that could maybe come back here for a Grade 1 at the Dublin Racing festival. He looks to have that type of an engine. Kawaboomga ran great to be second, he stayed on well and probably wants a trip. I was very happy with Zillow, who learned a lot from his first run to this run. I think he's a horse that's going to improve as well.