Aintree Fri, 12th Apr, 2024  Jonbon I don’t know why, but everybody loves him, I know JP does as well. He dug very deep today didn’t he? And he had to. His jumping was very slick and it was a great ride – you saw him at his best today. All the guys at home do a great job as if you change the routine, you could upset this fella very, very easily. I think we’ve got the hang of him now, we’re learning!. I always wondered whether we should have been thinking about the Ryanair this year and when we stepped Shishkin up to two and a half we soon realised he actually wanted three. I’m not saying that about Jonbon at the moment as Nico thought that trip was perfect for him around here. I think the two and a half is probably ideal, although I’m trying to get Nico to say he’ll stay three. But we can think about those things during the summer. He is a flagship horse. He’s been there a long time now, you can go back to when he was battling El Fabiolo here in a novice hurdle here two years ago – he’s been at the top for a fair old while. He’s just been a star all the way through and we love him, I hope he loves us!

Aintree Fri, 12th Apr, 2024  Inothewayurthinkin His jumping definitely left a bit to be desired, but he clearly has a big engine. He looked to have done plenty wrong, but still won. Clearly he stays well, so we’re delighted with the result. I’d say that’s it for this season. He’s up into big boy company next year and we’ll see how that goes, but he’s going to have to improve his jumping. He’s a Grade One winner so it’s the obvious thing to do (run in top staying chases next season).

Fairyhouse Sun, 31st Mar, 2024  Spillane's Tower From day one we’ve liked this horse and he’s taken to fences really well. I so delighted for the lads at home in the yard, Pat Murphy rides him every day, and the McManus family for sending him to me. We only have about a dozen horses and most of them are pointers. He’s only a six-year-old and his future is ahead of him. When the ground dries he’ll go home to Martinstown and next year will be the plan. I couldn’t see why he wouldn’t stay three miles but that will be for next year. He’s by a great sire in Walk In The Park. I spoke to Jody Townend and she said the ground is a bit tacky more so on the hurdle course than the chase so I was happy enough. Willie is an incredible trainer and a gentleman into the bargain. He even wished me well before the race today and visa versa I wished him well.

Leopardstown Mon, 4th Mar, 2024  Lovely Reaction She's been a nice mare all the time and I thought she couldn't get beat the last day,. For some reason she hung the whole way with Simon Torrens last time, he said he had two hands on one rein. We just gave her a bit of time off, a couple of easy weeks, and started off again. She's done it like I thought she would have done it in Fairyhouse the last day. She's a lovely mare by Walk In The Park. We'll keep her to two-and-a-half or three miles and probably looks for another handicap before going chasing after that. She has a mark over fences, she ran over fences in Clonmel.

Fairyhouse Wed, 7th Feb, 2024  Miss Pronunciation That was great, she did it well. She's starting to settle a lot better than she was and I'd say that's bringing out the improvement in her. She loves that ground. We had the mother, she was a Topanoora mare and she loved that heavy ground. When it's like that we'll keep going and see what there is. The mother stayed but this one's not slow, I'd say two miles on that ground is her trip. She's improving the whole time.

Fairyhouse Wed, 7th Feb, 2024  Miss Pronunciation That was great, she did it well. She's starting to settle a lot better than she was and I'd say that's bringing out the improvement in her. She loves that ground. We had the mother, she was a Topanoora mare and she loved that heavy ground. When it's like that we'll keep going and see what there is. The mother stayed but this one's not slow, I'd say two miles on that ground is her trip. She's improving the whole time.

Punchestown Mon, 29th Jan, 2024  Bioluminescence She's a three-mile chaser in the making, she ploughed through that ground and it's nice to get her head in front.

Punchestown Mon, 29th Jan, 2024  Bioluminescence She’s a three-mile chaser in the making, she ploughed through that ground and it’s nice to get her head in front.

Punchestown Mon, 29th Jan, 2024  Bioluminescence She’s a three-mile chaser in the making, she ploughed through that ground and it’s nice to get her head in front.

Punchestown Mon, 15th Jan, 2024  Maughreen She was very impressive. She was very professional, settled great and quickened up lovely. She handled the ground well. Her work was good, but that is probably even better than what she was doing at home. With that pedigree the owners are entitled to get more than a bit excited. We’ll go for black type bumpers and everything is on the table. The DRF (Dublin Racing Festival) might come a bit soon and there is Fairyhouse, Punchestown and Aintree. I think she is entitled to take her chance.

Punchestown Mon, 15th Jan, 2024  Maughreen She was very impressive. She was very professional, settled great and quickened up lovely. She handled the ground well. Her work was good, but that is probably even better than what she was doing at home. With that pedigree the owners are entitled to get more than a bit excited. We’ll go for black-type bumpers and everything is on the table. The DRF (Dublin Racing Festival) might come a bit soon and there is Fairyhouse, Punchestown and Aintree. I think she is entitled to take her chance.

Punchestown Mon, 15th Jan, 2024  Maughreen She was very impressive. She was very professional, settled great and quickened up lovely. She handled the ground well. Her work was good, but that is probably even better than what she was doing at home. With that pedigree the owners are entitled to get more than a bit excited. We’ll go for black type bumpers and everything is on the table. The DRF (Dublin Racing Festival) might come a bit soon and there is Fairyhouse, Punchestown and Aintree. I think she is entitled to take her chance.

Punchestown Mon, 15th Jan, 2024  Maughreen She was very impressive. She was very professional, settled great and quickened up lovely. She handled the ground well. Her work was good, but that is probably even better than what she was doing at home. With that pedigree the owners are entitled to get more than a bit excited. We’ll go for black-type bumpers and everything is on the table. The DRF (Dublin Racing Festival) might come a bit soon and there is Fairyhouse, Punchestown and Aintree. I think she is entitled to take her chance.

Punchestown Sun, 31st Dec, 2023  Catch The Beast We always thought he was a nice horse and we bred him as well. He was born the night of the famous storm, the Beast From The East, and we nearly lost him. I was watching the mare on camera and next thing a wind ripped through the place and we lost all our power and I couldn’t get the generator working. The foal was half out and was on his last breath when we got to him. That’s how he got his name from the storm. The longer trip probably helped him today, although Phillip said there's no need to go up any further in trip. His jumping is brilliant and he quickened up well.

Leopardstown Fri, 29th Dec, 2023  Jetara She jumped and settled and he (Kennedy) said he couldn’t believe how much she picked up. He thought he had got there plenty soon enough and, when he asked her, she picked up well. We are delighted with her. She will be better on better ground — the whole family want better ground. She is the only one of them that is happy on that soft ground. She will probably come back here for the novice hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival. We might as well, as she is still a novice. She jumps very slick and they (geldings) will have to give her 7lb. Then we will probably wait for Fairyhouse, which is early this year, for the mares’ Grade One. That will be kind of her programme.

Leopardstown Fri, 29th Dec, 2023  Jetara She jumped and settled and he (Kennedy) said he couldn’t believe how much she picked up. He thought he had got there plenty soon enough and, when he asked her, she picked up well. We are delighted with her. She will be better on better ground – the whole family want better ground. She is the only one of them that is happy on that soft ground. She will probably come back here for the novice hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival. We might as well, as she is still a novice. She jumps very slick and they (geldings) will have to give her 7lb. Then we will probably wait for Fairyhouse, which is early this year, for the mares’ Grade One. That will be kind of her programme.

Leopardstown Fri, 29th Dec, 2023  Jetara She jumped and settled and he (jockey Jack Kennedy) said he couldn't believe how much she picked up. He thought he had got there plenty soon enough and, when he asked her, he picked up well. We are delighted with her. She will be better on better ground - the whole family want better ground. She is the only one of them that is happy on that soft ground. She will be probably come back here for the novice hurdle in the Dublin Racing Festival. We might as well as she is still a novice. She jumps very slick and they will have to give her 7lb. Then we will probably wait for Fairyhouse, which is early this year, for the mares' Grade 1. That will be kind of her programme.

Leopardstown Thu, 28th Dec, 2023  Patter Merchant He's a nice horse, he's a horse to go jumping and you probably won't see much more of him this year. He's a horse for next year. Harry said he should have let him slide on, as he's just a galloper but we like him.

Navan Sun, 17th Dec, 2023  The Enabler He's a nice horse. We knew he'd improved, he's improving the whole time, and I'd say he's a proper horse. We won't do too much more this year, maybe go to Naas (for a winners bumper on February 25th). We've all the options for him, he looks very good. I wouldn't be thinking of going to Cheltenham.

Thurles Sun, 17th Dec, 2023  Birdie Or Bust Obviously we got a bit of luck but she ran really well and we were delighted with her. She definitely wasn't herself in the north the last day but looked back to herself today with the way she jumped and travelled. She didn't seem herself in Down Royal. We will get her home and see what everyone would like to do. She has options and is lovely mare.

Fairyhouse Sat, 16th Dec, 2023  Sa Fureur It looked like a grand opportunity and he did it well. He’s been working well at home and we fancied him the first day, he just got a fright. He jumped a lot better there today and he stayed going well. He’s going to win his races.

Fairyhouse Sat, 16th Dec, 2023  Sa Fureur He was a fortunate winner. He was going to be a nice second and was running a good race,. I just hope the faller is okay, we had a bit of luck on our side - if you haven't luck at this game you have nothing. Jack said he showed a good attitude. He said he was following the other horse early and kind of got into the habit (of jumping left) but he said he wasn't worried about his jumping at all. We'll probably look at one of those rated novice chases or we could step him into a handicap.

Punchestown Tue, 12th Dec, 2023  Jetara She was good. She’s got the experience from last year and is a second season novice basically. She goes on that heavy ground, unlike the rest of the family. She’s hardy now and she won going away, she quickened up great.

Punchestown Tue, 12th Dec, 2023  Jetara she is a second-season novice so has got the experience from last year and unlike the rest of the family, goes on that heavy ground. She's hardy, won going away and quickened up great. I don't know where we'll go, she might get an entry in the mares race at Christmas (Grade 3 Kerrymount Mares Hurdle at Leopardstown) and then there is one at the end of January (Solerina Mares Novice Hurdle at Fairyhouse). We'll look at anything over 2m4f or 2m5f and I might try and find a three-mile race in England. The mares' novice at Cheltenham is only two miles so I'd rather wait and go to Fairyhouse for the 2m4f Grade 1 - that would be her aim in the spring.

Punchestown Tue, 12th Dec, 2023  Spillane's Tower he is a smart horse, we like him a lot and he has never disappointed us on any of his races. He is an old fashioned chaser and I'm very grateful to the McManus family, who bred him, for sending him to me. It was a hell of a race he ran in at Navan the last time (won by Facile Vega) and any horse who performs well at Navan, you are really going places. He'll step up in trip and won't be found wanting. He is a big horse and can only improve. We'll see how he comes out of this race and we'll speak to Frank (Berry, McManus' racing manager) and whatever they say, we'll do. We like him a lot and I'm delighted for them as they put so much into this game.

Cork Sun, 10th Dec, 2023  Silent Approach It is a great win and I must dedicate it to my wife Claire who lost her mother Peggy last week. She was always the first one to ring me after we won a race so this is great for Claire and my family,. We have been jumping hurdles all year but the lads have been saying to jump fences and she is a fantastic jumper who is improving all the time. We were hopeful as she was in great form and Danny gave her a fantastic ride. Credit also to the lads Larry, Eddie, Justin and Dylan at home as they have done fantastic work with her. We have had the family for three generations and you could write what I know about training horses on a postage stamp, as breeding is our game. I'm delighted for Tadhg (O'Sullivan, joint-owner) who has been with me with our horses from the beginning.

Fairyhouse Sat, 2nd Dec, 2023  Firefox He’s a good horse and Jack said he’s so straightforward,. We thought he needed two and a half miles and that’s why we were making every post a winning post. Jack said he could go two and a half but he’s got so much boot and is so relaxed that everything is very easy to him. He looks exciting and you’d like his attitude. We wanted to get today out of the way first and I just loved the way he jumped. Jack said he was so professional over the last two.