Down Royal Sat, 31st Aug, 2019  Simply True We just spoke to Ronan (Whelan) beforehand and said to keep it simple. The rain getting into it meant that it is hard for a horse to come from behind. Ronan gave it a great ride - he hasn't ridden for me much before but he is a very, very good rider and it just worked out today he has a couple of rides for me. May this be the start of a good association!. He didn't win his maiden and we were slightly disappointed because we always liked him - a nice, easy-moving horse. He could be one that has just taken time to string things together. Hopefully he will start to improve and we will take it day by day. He has done that and stuck to his task well. I'm delighted and the chap we train for, J P Ledwidge, is a good supporter of mine so it is nice to get things rolling for him. He handled soft ground but he is such a good mover that I wouldn't have been seeking it out. We declared on good to yielding ground. That (soft ground) came and it didn't inconvenience him. It could open up possibilities that I am not ground dependent.

Galway Fri, 2nd Aug, 2019  Mr Adjudicator Kevin was very forceful on him and made up his mind in the dip. I said to him that the horse was very sluggish coming out of stalls and to try and get a position on him and he got a lovely position on him early on,. He made the horse's mind up in the dip but said he got there a little too soon. It is nice compensation (for Monday) and the horse hadn't been lucky all season until Punchestown (in May) when it came right, and it came right again at Autueil. God knows when he last had a break so we'll have a review of his season and we'll see what is coming up. I imagine he could get a break as we have campaigned him hard this season and I think he could improve a lot as in jumping terms he is young.

Gowran Park Sat, 27th Jul, 2019  Little Camacho I can't thank my owners enough as the horses were very sick for nine weeks and everyone of them stuck by me. A big thanks to all of them and the support they gave me through tough times. A big thanks to Patrick McCann and to Rita Shah who supported me through it. It's great for this wee filly. We always thought a lot of her. She was fit to win off that mark. Her run, when she was drawn 17 at Fairyhouse, was a good run. Hopefully we can get into a race in Galway next week. We'll see if there is a race there for her.

Curragh Sun, 21st Jul, 2019  Latin Five That was good. Donnacha thought it was the first time he was 100 per cent professional. Ours usually take a couple of runs to come and he took a good jump up today,. said Joseph O'Brien. We always thought he was well capable of winning a maiden. It was too sharp for him on his second run and at Limerick it was his first run after a break and he gave a little blow. He ran well there. He loved that stiff six and he's out of a Galileo mare so he should get seven furlongs. Donnacha said it's very blustery and he thought he might have raced too handy in the breeze but he quickened up and ran to the line well.

Sligo Sun, 14th Jul, 2019  Don Patricio he’d a grand run in a bumper but did a bit too much in the race, and the last day he ran way too keen and wasn’t left alone. I thought if he got an easy lead today that the experience he got the last day would be of some benefit. He relaxed lovely in front and was able to dictate the pace. I knew he’d quicken up well as he’s out of a fast horse. He’d shown enough that he could win one of those and possibly progress. He could go for a novice in Galway all being well.

Bellewstown Fri, 5th Jul, 2019  Sweetest Taboo That's Nathan's 7lb gone as well, so it great that he did it on one of our own. She's just there for the apprentices to ride. She's great for the kids to ride - a big, solid tank. She's a saint because she stood there for 10 minutes but jumped well and got over to the rail. We'll keep messing about with her!

Tipperary Sun, 23rd Jun, 2019  Sweetest Taboo She was thriving all summer and I said I'd give her a bit of a shock and try her in a visor, so obviously they worked. The ease in the ground probably helped too as she didn't feel it as much. She is versatile (ground wise) and is there for the apprentices to ride. There was another girl in the yard going to ride but she was too low for her to ride. She wins and pays her own way and the kids can ride her so what more do you want. She leads the two-year-olds every Thursday and we'll look for another race with her somewhere.

Fairyhouse Fri, 14th Jun, 2019  Black Magic Woman She’s had a few runs this year but is a proper race mare. She’s thriving on it and since I took the headgear off she’s running that bit more relaxed and finishing off well. I have my eye on a fillies handicap at the Curragh on Derby weekend, and hopefully the handicapper isn’t too hard on her. I’d hope she’ll shape up into a black type filly and she has an entry in the Brownstown back here next month. I hope she keeps progressing.

Gowran Park Mon, 3rd Jun, 2019  Black Magic Woman I saw that her price was a lot smaller at the off than it was yesterday evening. Someone fancied her, and expected her to outrun her price, but it wasn't my money. I was just happy to see her hit the line in front,. It's nice to have her back on track. She's always been promising and we just had to get her to put it all together today. With the help of Gary Halpin she did that. The trip and ground was ideal, she got a lovely run on the rail and picked up well when Gary asked her. It was a really good performance. On that evidence I'd say she'd get a mile, now that she's running her race the right way around. I'd expect her to improve again off that. We'll look at the premier handicaps that are coming up. I had earmarked one a couple of weeks ago but we took her to York instead and the ground was a bit quick for her over there. I'll get my head in the program book now and look forward to the season with her. She's a nice filly to have.

Punchestown Sat, 4th May, 2019  Mr Adjudicator It was a good performance under that weight for a five-year-old,. He got into a bit of trouble and made that mistake at the last but he picked up well. He might be a bit high for the Galway Hurdle but he'll definitely go back on the Flat. I'm delighted for Mr Bobbett as I've had no luck for him this season.

Dundalk Fri, 3rd May, 2019  The Perch We probably didn't expect it but she ran fairly well when she was a bit out of the handicap in the claimer. The way it worked out she was 15lb or 20lb wrong with a couple of horses. We thought she would maybe run into a place but we didn't expect her to win like that. We were running her here just after Christmas and she didn't seem to be letting herself down on it but she had been running over a mile and four and a mile and three, and we just took a chance dropping back to a mile last week and she ran a cracker and we said we would bounce her out again. I would have been happy with fourth or fifth. It was a hot enough race - I think Noel's horse (Wild Shot) had won three in a row. To do it like that there may be more to come hopefully. She'll go the turf now - there's a race in a couple of weeks over in Ayr. We'll play it by ear and see what happens. He (Patrick McKenna) currently has three (in training), the other two run at the Curragh on Monday. It's a small operation so any win is a good win. We are in Benburb, 45 minutes down the road (from here). Emmett McKenna, representing