Tramore Mon, 22nd Apr, 2024  Shiroccosmagicgem She is a nice mare and started off the season great. She would have won at Tatts, but got a very bad fall and since then she has been a little bit cautious. She didn't jump great today, but seems to have plenty of ability. I knew if she was in contention turning in that she'd come up the hill the best of them. The last day in Cork she didn't carry Johnny down the back and, he said had she carried him better to the straight, that she would have been a lot closer. We put the cheekpieces on her today as she is a lazy type. Hopefully, she'll go down the staying handicap chase route next season. I've had 12 or 13 point-to-point winners and won with a nice Valirann horse on Saturday called Val Venus. He is a half-brother to Hidden Cyclone and will probably go for the point-to-point bumper at Tipperary now. I had a nice winner at Tallow earlier in the year called The Top G and I have a nice Conduit horse coming through. I'm based out of Michelle Gannon's yard in Johnstown, Co Kilkenny.

Tramore Sun, 21st Apr, 2024  Natural Breeze He has been placed so many days and he deserved that. It's his second win and he has been pretty consistent, he is a great little horse. He was down the bottom of the handicap and we took seven off with Conor's claim. It's great for Conor, that's his third winner and he is improving away. He probably wants another year of experience under his belt to really get going. He is definitely on the up. That's 41 winners now and it's my best season to date. It was lovely to hit the 40 winners mark the other day. I've been fifth in the trainers table nearly all year and while behind me is something like 18, I'm still miles behind the first four. For a yard of 50 odd horses at the level we are at, it's magic. I've got massive support from owners and I have wonderful staff. Long may it last.

Cork Thu, 21st Mar, 2024  Freemans Bay He is a fine big horse, is a chaser in the making and his bumper form was very good. He finished behind a champion bumper winner the last day so we thought we had a good chance. He was backward and we tried running him at five but he was too weak and said we'd wait. It has been worth waiting for though and he'll go chasing next season. We'll either look for a novice hurdle now or see what mark he gets and work from there. He stays all day, is a real three-miler and was still babyish today. His dam Oilily was a proper mare, won twice around here and finished second in the Punchestown Champion Bumper.

Leopardstown Sun, 3rd Mar, 2024  Brideswell Lad He’d a very heavy fall in Listowel and it took him a long time to recover. We felt he was getting there of late. He would be ground dependant as well, so it’s not too heavy. He’ll probably go to Fairyhouse and Punchestown and we’ll keep him going for the summer.

Thurles Thu, 22nd Feb, 2024  Rushmount I'm delighted with him and delighted for his owners, the Moakleys, who, when I was 16, I did four or five seasons with Paddy (Moakley). He's a home-bred and hopefully now will build on that. The plan had been to go to Leopardstown over Christmas, but then he had a setback coming up to it. In fairness to the owners they have been patient with him and he is a nice horse. . He jumps really well and could do a lot over hurdles before he eventually going chasing. I thought he might be better on better ground, but it looks like he isn't ground dependant.

Gowran Park Sat, 17th Feb, 2024  Teescomponentsyess you can never get the ground heavy enough for him and that was a big bonus today. It’s great to have a winner here on a big day at my local track. We ran him over 2m1f the last day which was too short and that’s his trip — 2m4f. When I saw the rain coming this week I was thrilled. He does the job for us each year, I don’t want the rain to stop for him but for the rest of the horses at home I want the rain to stop, so we can’t have it every way!

Fairyhouse Wed, 7th Feb, 2024  Velvet Elvis We'll take it! We'll never know what would have happened, but he jumped well. He won this race last year and a small field is probably ideal for him and he loves that ground. Hopefully, that will be a confidence booster for him. I suppose we'll look at the Irish National. He's also in the National Trial at Haydock, but that will probably come too soon for him as it's Saturday week. We'll see how he comes out of this, but he's very unlikely to go there. He's probably not terribly well handicapped, but at the same time you'd have to consider an Irish National.

Fairyhouse Wed, 7th Feb, 2024  Velvet Elvis We’ll take it! We’ll never know what would have happened, but he jumped well. He won this race last year and a small field is probably ideal for him and he loves that ground. Hopefully, that will be a confidence booster for him.

Fairyhouse Wed, 7th Feb, 2024  Velvet Elvis We’ll take it! We’ll never know what would have happened, but he jumped well. He won this race last year and a small field is probably ideal for him and he loves that ground. Hopefully, that will be a confidence booster for him.

Fairyhouse Wed, 7th Feb, 2024  Evies Vladimir That was grand, he loves that heavy ground. He made a bad mistake at the first, but jumped brilliant after that. He bumped into one that last day (second to Bushmans Pass here). We'll see what the handicapper does and we'll have to go up in grade now.

Thurles Sun, 21st Jan, 2024  Little Mixup I thought the handicapper had this lad and I asked him to drop the horse a pound to get him into a 0-116, but it looks like he was right. The race cut up though - the favourite tipped up and it probably wasn't the strongest race. He is game, Mark (McDonagh) gave him a lovely ride and thanks to the McDonaghs who support me well and Lorraine (Mark McDonagh's mother) looks after the horses when they return home on breaks. I have to thank all the owners who all stood by me (during the suspension) as it was a tough end to the year. It was messy and I advised owners to send horses here and there, and thankfully I got them back. . My horses have been running ok, but I have been running a lot of ordinary ones too so we're thinning them out now. We are very busy, I have a lot of youngsters of my own which I hope to sell and have 15 point-to-pointers. I have a bunch of yearlings too, so hopefully we'll drive on now.

Thurles Sun, 21st Jan, 2024  Little Mixup I thought the handicapper had this lad and I asked him to drop the horse a pound to get him into a 0-116, but it looks like he was right. The race cut up though - the favourite tipped up and it probably wasn't the strongest race. He is game, Mark (McDonagh) gave him a lovely ride and thanks to the McDonaghs who support me well and Lorraine (Mark McDonagh's mother) looks after the horses when they return home on breaks. I have to thank all the owners who all stood by me (during the suspension) as it was a tough end to the year. It was messy and I advised owners to send horses here and there, and thankfully I got them back. . My horses have been running ok, but I have been running a lot of ordinary ones too so we're thinning them out now. We are very busy, I have a lot of youngsters of my own which I hope to sell and have 15 point-to-pointers. I have a bunch of yearlings too, so hopefully we'll drive on now.

Leopardstown Tue, 26th Dec, 2023  The Folkes Tiara He jumped super. Rachael was in front a lot sooner than I thought she would be but he actually jumped his way to the front so she just sat against him and took him back. He's toughed it out really well. He got under the last a bit but picked up again and when the other horse came to him he went away. He ran okay in Fairyhouse on ground that wouldn't be suitable for him, this ground is key to him as he likes a bit of nice ground. He was second in this race last year and it's great to go one better. We could probably look at the two-mile handicap at the Dublin Racing Festival as he runs well here, that would be the first thing that springs to mind — if he gets nice ground.

Thurles Sun, 17th Dec, 2023  Asian Master She did that very well,. I am happy she showed her true colours on the track as things haven’t gone right with her in the autumn. I took a chance and ran her and she has done it well. I imagine she will stick to bumpers rather than going jumping as she can do that next season.

Thurles Sun, 17th Dec, 2023  Asian Master She did that very well,. I am happy she showed her true colours on the track as things haven’t gone right with her in the autumn. I took a chance and ran her and she has done it well. I imagine she will stick to bumpers rather than going jumping as she can do that next season.

Thurles Sun, 17th Dec, 2023  Asian Master We thought this was a decent horse so we . The horse had finished six lengths second to Fact To File in a point-to-point and I thought if he went back to that form he'd have a chance. His jumping was exceptional which helped him get where he got, and won with a lot in hand. I didn't know who was behind me but after passing the line I could hear Paul (Townend) say 'well done'. I couldn't believe it and it is great that mam and dad are here - mam was the one who pushed to keep the horse despite offers coming in. Myself and dad have had good luck selling horses in recent years and I love it. I try to keep my weight under control and watch it as much as I can.

Thurles Sun, 17th Dec, 2023  Toofareastiswest This is my first winner for a good few years (January 2004) so it is nice to get it - Eoghan (son, previous license holder and now manager of Cork Racecourse) got a promotion!. Toofareastiswest had a good long break before he came back in October and he has improved every day. He deserved his turn and will go for something similar. We need to get the ground and the distance for him so we'll see what's available.