Down Royal Fri, 27th Aug, 2021  Rich Belief He probably wants that trip. I'd say the experience has definitely stood to him - dropping back from a handicap to a maiden. I don't usually like doing that but I thought it would be ideal around a big, galloping track with his experience. He just seemed to travel far easier over that trip, everything just happened a little bit slower for him. He's not very big. He gets a mile and six on the flat. I thought about coming back here next Friday for the two mile one handicap, the 50-80. He's owned by the Keelings who have been very good to me over the years and let me use their gallops when we had no gallops. I'm delighted to get it for them. I'd say we will mix and match with him. He has had a busy enough summer and has been unlucky once or twice.

Bellewstown Tue, 24th Aug, 2021  Fictitious Lady It was a great ride and it was very unlucky for the other horse to be chinned,. Someone said to me 'did you get up?' and I said 'I definitely got up anyway but I don't know what one won!'. It's well deserved, she was bred by John Fagan and his son Peter in Deerpark Stud. We've been trying to get a win with this filly for a long time and finally got one, thank God. We'll try and find a bit of black-type for the rest of the year. She would have got a lot of confidence there because she's been chinned twice herself. Billy said she loved it in behind, and she dictated (in previous races) because we wanted to make it but she just sat in the stalls a bit. I'm delighted as it's the first time John has been racing and he was seventy last week so it's a great present for him.

Roscommon Mon, 16th Aug, 2021  Royal Pippen I love the horse, I think he's a good little horse. He loves soft ground and Sam (Ewing) said that was probably quick enough for him. He'll go to Listowel and hopefully he can keep improving, he's only four. He ran a cracker in Listowel last year and that's where he'll go again now.