Downpatrick Fri, 20th May, 2022  Journey West He had run in a couple of right good maiden hurdles in Navan and places and finished eighth and ninth. In Limerick the last day we told Ryan Treacy to do something different with this horse, to jump him out and let him rattle. I knew after he had gone a hurdle I'd given him the wrong instructions. Then we took him home and did a couple of bits of work. He should have been doing that a long time ago. We put a set of blinds on him and it has got the ability out of him. Shane (O'Callaghan) gave him a nice ride and was very quiet on him and let him creep away and creep away. He's actually in at Punchestown on Tuesday and Wexford on Wednesday and if he eats up and all goes well, he will turn up somewhere if it keeps raining.

Punchestown Sat, 30th Apr, 2022  Hurricane Darwin What a fun horse he is. We bought him immediately after his last run and this was the plan for a long time. We knew he was in good form coming here,. I've only two or three for the track and two of them ran this week, we mostly train point-to-pointers and breeze-up horses. It's a big team effort and I have to say thanks to all the team at home. Benny was brilliant on him and to get two in the week is brilliant for him.

Cork Sun, 17th Apr, 2022  Copper Nation it was a very impressive win and he gave her a great ride. There's a mares' Listed hurdle in Killarney for her next. She is there or thereabouts every day and is a good mare who is from a great family. She has won a point to point, bumper and maiden hurdle now.

Fairyhouse Sun, 3rd Apr, 2022  Snake Oil It was nice to get that out of the way, on his Naas run he was entitled to win,. He was out for about 12 months with niggles. It's not ideal to be winning your maiden hurdle at this time of year. He's a chaser long term. I'm going to chance keeping him on the go. If we got a wet period during the summer there is a rated novice in Roscommon and then we could go to Galway. He'll go chasing then in the autumn. It's not ideal going out doing your own donkey work. He actually jumped well on the whole, I think he missed the second last when he was just idling. He's a classy kind of horse and we've always liked him. He had a few niggly issues but he's a seven-year-old now and a big strong horse so hopefully we get a clear run with him. He wouldn't want it any quicker than that, it's lovely ground today.

Clonmel Tue, 22nd Mar, 2022  Maxxum We had his two full brothers but had no luck with them and this is a lovely horse who is also owned by the Rabbitts from Galway,. We might give him one more run before we put him away. He is a lovely young horse, is a future chaser and we'll definitely give him another run, maybe two, before leaving him off.

Clonmel Thu, 3rd Mar, 2022  Chautuaqua I didn't expect that as I felt she wasn't ready for this but she loves the ground. We knew she wanted that ground, it is gruelling ground but she is a real winter mare. She had a four-year-old allowance and John (O'Meara) took off 5lb and he put her to sleep. We were only riding her to run well and we thought she'd get tired but she must be very good. She'll bumper this season and there are a few Listed bumpers. There is a load of improvement in her. She was actually bought by a new owner Declan Sheridan, a restaurant owner from Cavan town, yesterday morning so it was a lucky start for him. I'm delighted for him he obviously doesn't mess around because I showed him a few horses and he bought two of them. John is a big part of the yard and he and Damien Skehan are my main men. John takes care of any of the hardy horses and is great for teaching young staff as well.

Clonmel Thu, 3rd Mar, 2022  Western Zara They went an unmerciful gallop! She was very good at home jumping-wise and she jumped great. She had lots of schooling done with Johnny Berry when she was a youngster and she seems to be better over a fence. It was a good effort in the ground for the pace they went - it was proper winter ground and she showed a great attitude. I was wanting a lead but Richie had one for as long as he could, and couldn't take her back. We're living in the present with her and that's why she went over fences now. Hopefully she will be a nice mare for fences for the season and she has won on nice ground over hurdles.

Thurles Thu, 10th Feb, 2022  The Little Yank I told someone before the race that he'd win by eight or ten lengths and he won by nine!. That horse is flying and Gillian (Ryan, daughter) has transformed him. He was running and running and we couldn't figure him out but in fairness she figured he had ulcers and got on top of it. He won two bumpers when he looked a real little horse and please God he is coming back to that level. He'll be a smashing chaser and I wanted to run him in a beginners' chase but Gillian wouldn't let me, as we want him for the summer.

Fairyhouse Sat, 29th Jan, 2022  Western Zara we thought she was a mudlark but Richie said she pointed her toe there on yielding ground. She got a nice tow into the race and she’s a genuine tough sort that jumps like a buck. We’ll go chasing soon rather than later and hopefully she is one that will improve with a fence as she jumps so well. Anna Scanlon and her husband Eamon are great supporters of the yard and are in Cheltenham today and will have enjoyed that.

Down Royal Tue, 25th Jan, 2022  Two Shoe Tom she's off to the Sales next week so it is nice timing although the owners might think about it again. On that run you'd think she could win again. She had a hard enough race on Saturday but came home well and previously wasn't getting home, so it gave her a bit of confidence. I probably should have held off on Saturday with the way the ground was in Navan, as she probably wants that nicer ground. But she was in the Sales so we had to go today. She could go up to 2m4f again and that ground was a big help to her.