Killarney Wed, 13th Jul, 2022  Papilio I took a chance running her in the Group 2 the other day and I always thought she needed to be running further. She was running against proper sprinters and they took her off her feet and was on her head the whole way. Danny was cool, I told him to sit and sit and sit and have a one pop at the Ballydoyle horse (runner-up Greenland) inside the furlong pole. He said she didn't kill herself when she got there but she is a nice filly. We might go for the Flame Of Tara Stakes next (at the Curragh, over a mile).

Curragh Fri, 20th May, 2022  Papilio She's a nice filly and she wasn't getting any fillies allowance there. She's worked well consistently, she's probably a filly in time that will want seven or a mile to be fair to her. She's out of a High Chaparral mare so hopefully she'll stretch out a bit. She has a great mind and does everything very straight-forward. We could probably look at the Silver Flash or the Balanchine Stakes back here. Wayne liked her, he said she hit a bit of a flat spot at the two pole and that he got there too soon. He said he got to the line without hitting top gear.

Cork Wed, 18th May, 2022  Open Market That's my first runner for Newtown Anner Stud and we worked her once or twice and she showed us plenty,. She is forward going and onward bound and I was just hoping she was ready to start. If she put it together I thought she could win. Her brother was second in the Grade 1 Keeneland Mile, her mother is by Danehill and she has natural ability and we haven't done that much with her. She will be kept sprinting but if she strengthens up she could stay further.

Navan Sat, 14th May, 2022  Charlemont He's a lovely horse, a gorgeous big horse and we just had to take our time. We just waited for that bit of ground. He was entered in Tipperary the last day but the ground came up soft. He's a Starspangledbanner and he acts on better ground, he just loved that. He quickened up the hill well in Navan. A lovely start. He's wearing a visor because we trained his mother (Ostatnia) and she always wore blinkers (or a visor). Until we put the blinkers on, she wasn't doing a tap. He's the same, he just looks everywhere and doesn't concentrate. He's not in any way coltish, he's a gawker.

Leopardstown Sun, 8th May, 2022  Corporal Violette That was grand. She's still a bit timid and when I saw the one coming on the outside I thought 'this is what we wanted',. The plan was to attack wide and late and let her do it without frightening her. There is still a lot of growing to do mentally and anything else. She did a lot of growing from two to three and it's only in the last month she started showing us the ability that she showed at two. She'll go up to a mile now and by the end of the year she'll be running over a mile-and-a-quarter. She won't run on that ground again, she's a Starspangledbanner, and she needs a bit of juice. It's beautiful ground out there but it's still too quick for her. She won the race by pure ability and the further she went the better she was. I'd say there is a lot of improvement in her as she's very much a work in progress. The first furlong going to the start she was, as Colin said, tasty and he did very well to get her back. It could all have been lost there. It's a good start to the day. I'm delighted for the owners Rick and Catriona Gaynor, who are from Trim but live in America. They go back to America next week for the summer so it's great to get the winner while they are here.

Naas Sat, 7th May, 2022  Drombeg Banner A hundred yards down he was definitely headed and to his credit he battled back. He's a good horse that's still learning about sprinting. I was just a bit worried about six today, as he goes along I'd say five will end up his optimum. He's a progressive three-year-old sprinter that's going to make into a stakes horse. We'll give him a chance as he's had a hard race there but it's very pleasing how willing and honest he is. He's got a very high cruising speed and was very comfortable most of the way but when he had to battle he really did. There is the Junefest (premier handicap) on June 1st at the Curragh, we might have a look and see what the handicapper says but I would think his future will probably be in stakes company now. It's great for the McAuliffe family. Phil is the owner/breeder and his wife Alice and the sons Cian and Cathal are all here. It's a great family occasion and they'll get a big boost out of that.

Naas Sat, 7th May, 2022  Rough Diamond He did it well. He won a maiden first time out, which is very unlike one of mine, and suffered then as he got a lofty rating. He's kind of stupid and he's well named! He'd be kept back a few years in school if he was on two legs, he's not the brightest bulb in the shop. He's getting the hang of sprinting, he ran well a couple of weeks ago, and Shane said he was pretty straight forward today. There is a huge draw bias here, he was high and Teddy (Boy, runner-up in the earlier 5f handicap) was low. It's swings and roundabouts but you need to be down this side.

Cork Sun, 3rd Apr, 2022  Drombeg Banner it is lovely to see Phil (McAuliffe) and all his family here - that meant a lot as he has been poorly of late and will be delighted with this. He is home-bred by Phil and winters at home with Cian, his son, so there’s a great family connection. It’s an important day and I’d say there will be mighty celebrations tonight. the horse won his maiden last year on easy ground, and all the family like soft, so I was delighted to see a little bit of rain overnight. Bill (Lee) said to me, after riding in the first and second, that it was safe ground, but this fella would relish even slower conditions. This race, if you look back on it, every year it seems to work out and he's a horse we think a bit of. Bill said that if anything had come to him, he would found again and was pleased with him. We ran him in a Group 3 last year and has the makings of a nice sprinter. We’ll look for something similar next, or a conditions' race, in the weeks ahead.