Punchestown Wed, 1st May, 2024  Dancing City It just shows how tough he is that he’s been to every racing Festival, it takes a lot of doing. It all goes well for the future going over fences. He did quite well coming back from Aintree. We haven’t done that before — Cheltenham, Aintree, Punchestown. It looks achievable, so we might do more of it in the future!. He didn’t show how good he was until we went out in trip. High Class Hero ran very well and looked for a minute that he might upset Paul.

Punchestown Wed, 1st May, 2024  Dancing City That’s fantastic for Jody, her first Grade 1. She’s always does her own thing in her races and it works! We often discuss what’s going to happen but when the tape goes up, Jody just does what Jody wants to do. She’s had some success, so we just have to take our hats off to her. This horse missed a year and I thought he could be Champion Bumper material. I thought that I’d rather do that than go hurdling. He can go hurdling next season. He followed home Facile Vega here two years ago and that sort of form stands up every day of the week. It paid off. He could run on the Flat over a mile and a half or a mile and six.

Punchestown Tue, 30th Apr, 2024  Daddy Long Legs he showed a huge turn of foot. He was in front way too soon, and I'm sure Paul would have kicked himself but he said to me the horse just carried him and he didn't want to disappoint him. He's a horse that could go back on the Flat and is maybe one for Royal Ascot. He's still a maiden on the Flat, he's only had one run when finishing second in France. I'd say he's very ground dependent, in winter time in heavy ground he wasn't able to handle it but on this ground it seems to be a different ball game. He surprised me, especially after being in Ludlow last week. To come back from England and do that in a big handicap is good.

Punchestown Tue, 30th Apr, 2024  Mystical Power Mystical Power showed resilience and toughness and he's been improving all season. I didn't think we had much chance at the second last and Mark said he was going as fast as he could coming around the last bend. The race turned into a staying race with the other two protagonists (Firefox and Slade Steel) playing their cards going to the last. They were flat out and then he just outstayed them with a good jump at the last. It's fantastic that he's progressed as the season has gone on and I think Annie Power is coming out in him. She showed plenty of ability but he didn't show any ability early. When he was a three-year-old he didn't show me much ability and at the end of his four-year-old year he started to show a little bit.

Tipperary Tue, 23rd Apr, 2024  Not Negotiable She was quite green and had a good look at the road where I nearly came off her twice. She is a big mare with a big engine and I'd be thinking soft ground, at a trip, over fences is where she'd really be at her best. We came here for the 2m4f and the ground had dried out a lot, but I think she is a proper winter mare. I'd be very excited with her and she is homebred by Nicola (Fitzgerald) who owns her. I'd be very surprised if she didn't end up being a black-type mare.

Aintree Sat, 13th Apr, 2024  I Am Maximus It was an excellent ride. I had said before the race that we didn’t know how good this horse was, today he showed that he’s better than he had been. I thought he still had a little bit from the handicapper after the Bobbyjo and he’s proved it today. Paul was excellent, he kidded him round the inside, he got chopped up a couple of times and probably didn’t jump as clean as he could, but he was looking for the gaps and when he eventually got it he was all right. I could see Paul’s body language and he was happy, so I was happy then. I don’t think I said anything until he got over the last and then I let go (and gave him a cheer). He’s a tremendous horse. He has his own way of doing things, he’s quirky and immature but he’s learning all the time. It’s extraordinary how we came to have him. Nicky Henderson had him before me, Michael Grech moved his horses to Ireland and Nicky said to me ‘make sure you get him’ and it was fine advice. Nicky could see the talent that he had and we just had to nurture it, so thanks to Nicky and also Henrietta Knight who organised all that. To win an Irish National and an English National is impressive. I think he could be a Gold Cup horse, but we don’t know how good he could be because he doesn’t do it at home. He’s quirky, but he has huge ability and until others get the better of him, we won’t know how good he is.