Punchestown Sun, 17th Jan, 2021  Klassy Kay the form of her third at Clonmel the last day has worked out well. Going up in trip is suiting her as well and she’ll have to go up a bit in grade now. I think as we go into the spring, drier ground will suit her and she might be able to win a nice handicap at one of the spring Festivals.

Punchestown Sun, 17th Jan, 2021  Frere Tuck he choked the last day and the tongue tie made a big difference to him today. Better ground would suit him well as he progresses through his career and he’d have no problem going back up in trip. Paul was sore after his fall yesterday and I said to him this morning that I’d prefer he’d rest rather than come here today especially with the first two races being Graded ones. There is important races coming up and I’m hoping he’ll be back next weekend. I didn’t put him on anything tomorrow or Tuesday.

Naas Wed, 13th Jan, 2021  Belle Metal She has a nice pedigree and is by a sire that I would use again going on what this filly has done.

Naas Wed, 13th Jan, 2021  Energumene That was very impressive and his jumping was a key factor. He’s got a great method to jump.

Fairyhouse Sun, 3rd Jan, 2021  Whatdeawant It was a nice performance and nice to have a winner for Bernardine and Sean Mulryan,. He looks smarter on the racetrack than he does at home, that'll do me. I'd imagine he'll go for a winners or we could go straight to Cheltenham with him. Patrick was very happy with his performance.

Cork Sat, 2nd Jan, 2021  Koshari It was nice to get it and was a proper training performance from Willie to have him back here in that shape after a long layoff. He has done well physically from his break, did it well today and hopefully he can pick up a few more races.

Tramore Fri, 1st Jan, 2021  Al Boum Photo it's a big relief- it was nerve-wracking watching him going around there. He jumped very well and Paul said he was just so idle on his own in the middle of the race, he didn't even think he was in race. He had to roust him up down the back but once he got racing he was fine. Lack of company was a bigger worry for Paul than anything else. the ground is very, very testing out there. We are happy with his performance, he did what he was asked to do. We just hope now that he comes out of it sound and well and we will plan for the Festival. That's the first hurdle jumped anyway. Half way around today I was thinking it would have been easier to go to Leopardstown because there would be less focus on him. When you come here you have to win and you have to win nicely and he did all those things. I usually like to do what has worked before and hopefully it will work again. A lot of ours are improving for their first run of the year and I'm expecting him to do the same.

Punchestown Thu, 31st Dec, 2020  Bachasson I was hoping he’d jump a bit better but Paul said he was just idle out in front on his own.

Punchestown Thu, 31st Dec, 2020  Stones And Roses He’s owned by the singer Paddy Reilly and his son Ciaran. He’s improving and is a real old fashioned staying chaser. Extended trips are what he likes and he jumps for fun. He’ll probably come back here for the Grand National Trial. I’m delighted to give Brian a winner. He’s an integral part of our yard for schooling and riding work.

Leopardstown Tue, 29th Dec, 2020  Sharjah He’s some horse and he likes this track. Patrick loves riding him, and the horse responds to him,. It can be very hard to ride a horse like that, the way he rides him, but he has great confidence in him. For a guy his size and weight, he has huge commitment. He does a lot of other work at home, running the yard as assistant trainer. He might be taking my job shortly!. I’d imagine Sharjah will come back here for the Irish Champion Hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival. He has a little bit of class about him. He was second last year in the Champion Hurdle, and might have been a little far back then. Saldier ran a great race on his comeback. I thought Saint Roi would finish closer — but Mark said he went for his race too early and he’d like to have sat longer.

Leopardstown Tue, 29th Dec, 2020  Monkfish It was a very good performance from a horse having his second run over fences, to take on more experienced rivals at a Grade One track. I was very pleased with that,. It didn’t seem to be a problem — even when he was meeting one wrong, he shortened himself. He seems to be a natural over fences. There was a lot of pressure on him going to the last, with Latest Exhibition -who has a bit more experience than him. He pulled himself together, fought his way over it, and he just had a little bit in reserve. I’d imagine we’ll look at the Flogas Chase. We’ll focus on that first — and if all goes well we can look at Cheltenham after that.

Leopardstown Tue, 29th Dec, 2020  Concertista .She was very good,. It was a searching pace. We thought Mary Frances would go on but Rachael went ahead. That suited our other mare My Sister Sarah. Paul elected to drop in and I thought he might be a little too far out of it turning into the back straight. The pace up front got her back into the race. She was very brave and very good to do what she did there today. I'd imagine the Mares Hurdle is the target. She'd look nicely positioned for that race. We'll come back here first for the Dublin Racing Festival. She's improving all the time.

Leopardstown Mon, 28th Dec, 2020  The Big Getaway It was nice to get that out of the way and he jumped well,. We'll look for a winners of one but the way the program is he'll probably have to go up in grade now, maybe back here at the Dublin Racing Festival. The (Grade 1) Flogas Chase could be an option for him.

Limerick Mon, 28th Dec, 2020  Ciel De Neige Frank (Berry) and JP (McManus) will make plans but I'd imagine he'll go back to the handicap route now. He eventually got his head in front. He did what he was asked to do. He's just a horse that makes life hard on himself. Hopefully he can go on now and progress from that.

Leopardstown Mon, 28th Dec, 2020  Dandy Mag It was a fantastic ride by Paul (Townend) who timed it perfectly,. He was off for a long time before his run at Naas. The ease in the ground and trip were a huge help to him today. I'm hoping that gives him his ticket now to run in the final. We haven't had many runners in it and hopefully he goes there with a reasonable chance.

Leopardstown Mon, 28th Dec, 2020  Gaillard Du Mesnil I thought on paper it looked like a strong maiden and we went a nice gallop for the ground. I thought it was a true run race. As it opens up it'll get a little slower out there. I was very impressed with him. The jump he put in at the second last showed how much he had in the tank. He looks like a nice, middle-distance horse and we'll probably stay at that sort of trip with him. As he gets more racing I think he'll settle better, he was a little keen with Paul. He wasn't stopping at the end and was finishing out the race well. He's a horse that will go up in grade easily enough, I think. I suppose we'll look at the Dublin Racing Festival. It depends what we do with Appreciate It as we'll probably try and keep them apart.

Leopardstown Sun, 27th Dec, 2020  Castlebawn West That was a huge performance. He was so slick jumping in front, he was getting breathers and as Paul said the better he jumped the more confidence he got.

Leopardstown Sun, 27th Dec, 2020  Appreciate It He surprised me and impressed me. I was wondering if he was a two and a half miles horse or a two-mile horse. I know he can easily do it over two and a half but to come back to two miles and put in a performance like that in a Grade 1 was impressive.

Leopardstown Sun, 27th Dec, 2020  Chacun Pour Soi I was really pleased with that. He showed a great spring in his jumping and really attacked his fences. After the last fence he flew around the final bend and was then idling a bit.

Limerick Sat, 26th Dec, 2020  Colreevy It was a good performance. She was always very good to jump at home from day one, and the aim today was a clear round and hopefully we’d be in the mix down over the last two. I knew she’d keep galloping — she is very tough, not fast — and once Paul (Townend, on Asterion Forlonge) fell, it opened things up. But it still wasn’t going to be easy from there — when the other horse (Pencilfulloflead) joined her it definitely helped. There is a good programme for mares nowadays, and the Flynns (owners) will be delighted because they will probably breed from her and she is now a Grade One winner in bumpers and over fences.

Limerick Sat, 26th Dec, 2020  Colreevy That was a nice surprise. He jumped great and capitalised on the very fast early pace which seemed to catch out a lot of the runners. Bryan was terrific, just keeping him together and keeping him jumping. He took what was left to him after they went too fast early on. He could stick at that trip, but you’d obviously look at a longer trip for him, maybe two and a half. I’d imagine the Dublin Racing Festival will be the plan, we’ll see how he comes out of this race today.

Leopardstown Sat, 26th Dec, 2020  Colreevy That was a nice surprise. He jumped great and capitalised on the very fast early pace which seemed to catch out a lot of the runners. Bryan was terrific, just keeping him together and keeping him jumping. He took what was left to him after they went too fast early on. He could stick at that trip, but you’d obviously look at a longer trip for him, maybe two and a half. I’d imagine the Dublin Racing Festival will be the plan, we’ll see how he comes out of this race today.

Limerick Sat, 26th Dec, 2020  Franco De Port That was a nice surprise. He jumped great and capitalised on the very fast early pace which seemed to catch out a lot of the runners. Bryan was terrific, just keeping him together and keeping him jumping. He took what was left to him after they went too fast early on. He could stick at that trip, but you’d obviously look at a longer trip for him, maybe two and a half. I’d imagine the Dublin Racing Festival will be the plan, we’ll see how he comes out of this race today.

Leopardstown Sat, 26th Dec, 2020  Franco De Port That was a nice surprise. He jumped great and capitalised on the very fast early pace which seemed to catch out a lot of the runners. Bryan was terrific, just keeping him together and keeping him jumping. He took what was left to him after they went too fast early on. He could stick at that trip, but you’d obviously look at a longer trip for him, maybe two and a half. I’d imagine the Dublin Racing Festival will be the plan, we’ll see how he comes out of this race today.

Leopardstown Sat, 26th Dec, 2020  Dysart Diamond It was a nice surprise,. She did it well and probably the drier ground up here made a difference. She also had a first time tongue tie which was probably a help as well.

Limerick Sat, 26th Dec, 2020  Dysart Diamond It was a nice surprise,. She did it well and probably the drier ground up here made a difference. She also had a first time tongue tie which was probably a help as well.

Limerick Sat, 26th Dec, 2020  Shadow Rider It was a nice surprise,. She did it well and probably the drier ground up here made a difference. She also had a first time tongue tie which was probably a help as well.

Leopardstown Sat, 26th Dec, 2020  Shadow Rider It was a nice surprise,. She did it well and probably the drier ground up here made a difference. She also had a first time tongue tie which was probably a help as well.

Thurles Sun, 20th Dec, 2020  Gauloise At home she has looked like she improved and she has shown me that at the race track and her jumping was good enough too,. I think she is going to improve again and the minimum trip is no problem to her. Paul said she took off with him after the second last and he wasn't expecting that sort of response. He thinks she had to show stamina to stay after opening up her lead so all in all it's looking good for her and he thinks she can improve again. I imagine she might have one more run before Cheltenham but she looks like she is good enough to go up in grade; her next run will hopefully copperfasten that.