I’m travelling to Dundalk as we speak and thought it might be a good time to write something. We’ve had a really quiet period since April marked by a single winner with Surac early August. The horses we have been running have been running by and large OK but not really threatening to win. Well, a few have but missed their chances and of the horses we have they can’t afford to miss their opportunities. We run Marvelosa later in an extended 10 furlong maiden. Her form has her battling for 3rd but you’re just hoping she can step up on her form and take on the front 2. One is a son of the mighty A ..read more

I lost the login details for this blog and haven’t updated in a while. I’ll give a brief update on the year so far before previewing today’s runners. Apologies for the lack of paragraphs, I can’t get the correct format on my phone. Anyway, things have been ticking along fine in 22 thus far. We’ve 4 winners under our belt and as a general rule if we can operate at 1 a month then we’re treading water. It would be nice to get a blast of good fortune as it might kick-start something but we’ll stay patient and fingers crossed we can grab our chances. Most of ours have been running away fine but 5th ..read more

We head to Naas tomorrow before a Punchestown enforced pause. The horses have been generally running well. A bounce of a ball and we could have another winner or 2. If they keep showing up and giving themselves chances then we’ll be fine. Pandemic Princess turns back 6 days after a nice debut run in Tipperary. She had one piece of work before that run and  had never been on grass. If she improves as she should then she has to run well. It’s probably a deeper race tomorrow but that’s how it’s going to be from now on. She has retained her appetite and her action so I can’t see any value in ..read more

I haven’t blogged in a while. Not for any real reason. Circling around talking about the same bunch of horses and their chances or lack thereof is only of so much interest. The year has gone OK. I was thrilled with things to April end but we’ve been a bit stale since. It would be nice to be making more of an impact especially with our flat horses but plenty have been running well and they may or may not get their chance yet. A small yard like ours doesn’t need many flag bearers to be flying but things can be quiet enough in the absence of one. One will come through, always does. The National H ..read more

We’re fully on the stretch this weekend. All hands to the pumps. Chester first with Morph Speed in the Chester Cup. He has been prepared for this from a fair way back and the hope all along was he would get in to it in the weights proper. He has, he is fit, looks well and moving to his chin and it’ll be interesting to see. I ran him over a mile the last day as he could have a good blast out and a nice piece of work. I was fully expecting him to be outpaced when things heated up at half way and he was. I thought he’d rattle home thereafter and I’m not sure he did. His jockey was happy, he has b ..read more

We’re Punchestown bound with Sparkling Stars tomorrow. Not an obvious destination at the start of the season but opportunities come from strange places. He has been terrific since he arrived. He looked well handicapped when we bought him and so it has proved. I thought he might grab a race before the season end and we could concentrate on chasing next year. He has been better than that and deserves to have a go at a race like this. He’s huge, as in Allaho huge and hurdling is square-peg-in-a-round-hole for him. I just want him to come home safe and sound tomorrow and head on his holidays. I as ..read more

Super Saturday tomorrow with 4 runners maybe even 5 with Abstract a reserve. To be fair it was a super Friday with the sale of Shanbally Kid to Harold Kirk and Willie Mullins. Happy owners this side and new owners with every reason to be excited about their purchase. He could gallop, that fella, he’d skin some of my flat crew. I can’t bear the charm offensive that goes on with sales horses. Thankfully his bumper win sold him. To tomorrow. We run 3 in Limerick. Morph Speed is heading to Chester, hopefully for the Chester Cup but there’s a consolation race if he doesn’t get in. That’s May 6th an ..read more

We had our biggest winner at Naas a few years ago but generally I feel ours perform underwhelmingly there. I’ve no idea why that is, variance most likely. Anyway we head there with 2 tomorrow and I’m really looking forward to seeing them both. Gwan So debuted recently at Fairyhouse and it was OK. He fluffed the start and made up his ground very quickly. He floated for a couple of furlongs and then got tired. If he was more streetwise and more efficient in the run he could run well. I’d like to think he’s good enough to win his maiden. It doesn’t have to be tomorrow, that’s a good race, but enc ..read more

We’re heading to Mallow with 2 runners tomorrow. The horses have been running away well and it has been slightly disappointing to see several of ours start favourite, rún their race and still get beat. Every yard hits a seam of form where a few horses come together, land on good races and take their opportunities. For a small yard we have a few in that kind of shape but they haven’t been converting their chances. Still I’ve been in worse spots, hopefully we’ll grab one or 2 soon. Chessman goes for a 7f Premier handicap tomorrow and it is very very competitive. He’s just not the horse he was 2 ..read more