Going - Heavy. Fine
Jackpot Pool - €1,911.38 Dividend - €442.70 Winning Units - 3.03. Placepot Pool - €38,024.82 Dividend - €3.60 Winning Units - 7321.58. Days Aggregate - €225,185.72 Last Year €282,732.76
Mister Policeman lays down the law in Punchestown
He’s still learning to jump and he’ll probably be better going out in trip at some stage, but this race fitted nicely into his schedule. It will leave him nicely set up for the spring. I’d imagine he’ll stay at home and there are plenty of good races to be won. He could go for a novice handicap.
Senior Chief gets there to foil Duffle Coat
Rachael said once she turned in she knew it was okay, but I’m not so sure. He’s done little wrong in fairness to him, and the handicapper might reassess him from a mark of 142. He looked laboured and Rachael said its tough old ground. We’ll look for a handicap now and see where we go from there. I’m delighted for the lads (Lucky In Life Syndicate) who are great supporters and a lot of them work at Regeneron in Limerick.
Where It All Began puts in a strong staying effort in National Trial
It probably looked turning in that I was going to finish third, but stamina really kicked in when we straightened up. I’m delighted with him. He’s not reliant on heavy ground, just a test of stamina is what he wants. He’d been running well and threatened to do something like that. That’s as light as I’d go (10st 5lb). He could go for the Kim Muir at Cheltenham or an Irish National. It was a good performance and he stays really well.
Mullins and Townend at double with impressive Tullyhill
He has a fair engine and we just needed to give him confidence jumping. David Casey (assistant trainer) was deputised with that job and has done a right job. He’s entitled to go anywhere after a performance like that. I thought he’d be an out-and-out stayer but he has plenty of speed, a great cruising speed, and now his jumping is starting to match his cruising speed. He’s in the Supreme and I’ll have a word with connections and see what they would like to do.
Mullins and Townend fire in treble through Paggane
I think the longer trip brought about improvement in her. Hopefully she will continue to improve into the spring and her jumping is improving too. Maybe we could look at a novice handicap for her.
Buachaillbocht brings up his third hurdle success
He’s going the right way. He’s won three now and might win another one. He’s a grand stamp of a horse, jumps well and if he takes to fences there is a nice chase in him down the line.
Willie Mullins Sounds Victorious with a four-timer
You could see he was learning all the way up the straight in Leopardstown (runner-up on debut). Obviously, he didn’t take all those lessons to heart and had to relearn today. He did it the hard way, but is obviously full of stamina. I was very happy with Inn At The Park as well and he’ll win before too long.
Emma Gilligan seen to good effect on The Goffer
Emma has been with me for years. She is a great girl and is one of our barn managers. It’s a brilliant race for the staff and they all work very hard. The Goffer will go for the Ultima at Cheltenham. She didn’t panic and gave him a great spin.
