Cork Mon, 6th Apr, 2026  Journey With Me I’ve been trying to win this Jack Tyner-race for a long time as I knew Jack when he was riding, so it means a lot to win the race. Jack never rode for me but I often walked the point-to-point tracks in the north with him and his father Robert. They are a lovely family and he was a lovely lad. Journey With Me has been disappointing but my horses were sick from December to the end of January, and he was one of the sickest. He had run under a cloud since and I don’t think the heavy ground suited either. Often with these horses who were once high-class, they would have gone through a tough time to be high-class and it takes a pile to get them back. I’m just delighted to get him back and I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw that today’s race was over 2m4f. His Oldtown form in February had been rubbished but it has actually worked out well. He was bought to race in Aintree’s Foxhunters but we couldn’t get him there and while we will probably run in Punchestown now, I’d say three-miles isn’t really his distance. Hopefully he’ll go to Aintree next year.

Cork Mon, 6th Apr, 2026  River Vale I’ve had a couple of bad accidents in the last few years so your body kind of shuts down, and I put down a couple of bad nights after Thurles. A first-time-out horse backed in on top of me, knocked me over and ‘buried’ me. I got bruised all over, and the real injuries came in the sternum, ribs and collarbone areas. With the way the world is going and with people receiving treatment for various things, you’d be thankful it wasn’t worse. I’m used to the injuries and if I printed them, it would take a book, but I’m nearly gone to the stage now with one more thump, I’ll say goodbye. I rode out six horses this morning though.

Leopardstown Mon, 2nd Mar, 2026  O'Toole We’ve thought the world of this horse from the day he won the bumper in Fairyhouse, he was second in the Grade 1 at Punchestown,. He’s had a few wee problems and it’s kept him off the track for a long time. When we started this season he had only run eight times. He had a great run back, at Cork, at Christmas when Sam (Ewing) rode him. It was a really good run for such a long lay-off. We went to Haydock, picked out a nice race, and we fancied him that day to go well. For whatever reason it didn’t happen and we gave him a good break and had this race in mind. Thankfully it’s worked out. In Haydock he was jumping left and was never happy. Yet he was in great form going there and we were really confident. Haydock can be a funny track, it dries out quick and it can ride sharp enough. I wonder whether he just found it sharp. He never got off on the right footing in the race whereas today JJ had him in a lovely position and he jumped well. The further he went the better he was jumping and he stayed really well.

Navan Sat, 17th Jan, 2026  Timesareachanging The lads bought him in Cheltenham at the sales out of Colin Bowe's for 19,000 (guineas); he won a three-runner point-to-point. Good staying horse, loves that ground. Nice horse. The run at Christmas brought him on. He was off the track a long time before that.

Navan Sat, 17th Jan, 2026  Timesareachanging The lads bought him in Cheltenham at the sales out of Colin Bowe's for 19,000 (guineas); he won a three-runner point-to-point. Good staying horse, loves that ground. Nice horse. The run at Christmas brought him on. He was off the track a long time before that.

Naas Mon, 15th Dec, 2025  River Vale He’s a fierce kind horse and everybody is mad about him, and anybody can ride him at home. He got a hard race over three miles at Fairyhouse and we might have run him a bit soon in Mallow. I’m delighted for the lad who rode him because he’s in (riding out) seven days a week.