Very wood reappearance !

Tu va takes plate with riches!

(Road to Riches )

Noel stated: "This was Eddie's (O'Leary) plan. I thought he'd have top-weight if he came here and I was delighted to see Kid Cassidy (top-weight, unfortunately a fatality Meade stated: "This was Eddie's (O'Leary) plan. I thought he'd have top-weight if he came here and I was delighted to see Kid Cassidy (top-weight, unfortunately a fatality in the race) in.

"Willie (Mullins) was behind me when they started up the hill and he clapped me on the back. At that stage I wondered did he have a lead-cloth on him at all he was winning so easy.

"He was out of all the trouble the whole way and with Shane it's obviously a case of an old head on young shoulders.

"Michael (O'Leary) is not here but I'm sure he's watching in. They've had the third too in Willie's Balnaslow. Jonathan Burke, another young man going places, was on him.

"Being by Gamut, and Gamut is by Spectrum, most of them want good ground. Probably that's the key to him and he does want to come into a race fresh. He jumped brilliant.

"He went a fair gallop but he was always comfortable. He jumped so well he gave himself a chance, and every fence was a help to him.

"I think that was Shane's first ride for me. Ger (Fox) would have been riding him put for breaking his collarbone (at Wexford last Friday) but that's racing. We bought him off Martin Cullinane who only trains about six miles from here.

"That's the only one of the big races (at Galway) that I hadn't won. I've been second in it I think three or four times. I'm absolutely thrilled as the Plate is something you want to win.

"I'm sure the handicapper is not going to be too nice to him after that, he won so easy. I'm sure he's a Graded horse, there is no doubt about that. His handicapping days might be over after that. Good ground is essential." the race) in.

"Willie (Mullins) was behind me when they started up the hill and he clapped me on the back. At that stage I wondered did he have a lead-cloth on him at all he was winning so easy.

"He was out of all the trouble the whole way and with Shane it's obviously a case of an old head on young shoulders.

"Michael (O'Leary) is not here but I'm sure he's watching in. They've had the third too in Willie's Balnaslow. Jonathan Burke, another young man going places, was on him.

"Being by Gamut, and Gamut is by Spectrum, most of them want good ground. Probably that's the key to him and he does want to come into a race fresh. He jumped brilliant.

"He went a fair gallop but he was always comfortable. He jumped so well he gave himself a chance, and every fence was a help to him.

"I think that was Shane's first ride for me. Ger (Fox) would have been riding him put for breaking his collarbone (at Wexford last Friday) but that's racing. We bought him off Martin Cullinane who only trains about six miles from here.

"That's the only one of the big races (at Galway) that I hadn't won. I've been second in it I think three or four times. I'm absolutely thrilled as the Plate is something you want to win.

"I'm sure the handicapper is not going to be too nice to him after that, he won so easy. I'm sure he's a Graded horse, there is no doubt about that. His handicapping days might be over after that. Good ground is essential."

Very very good at Cheltenham!

Winning connections of Very Wood.

Carberry said: "It's brilliant, great for Noel, and I'm delighted to get a winner.

"He travelled and jumped super. He's going to be a lovely chaser. I had to gather him up after the third-last, but he stormed up the hill."

Meade added: "It was just fabulous. He had a bruise last night and we thought he wasn't going to run, the team did a brilliant job to get him here.

"You could fancy him if you'd seen his run behind the favourite (Briar Hill, at Naas). He was staying on very well (over two and a half miles). It's the trip that makes the difference to him and he's a chaser for next year. He's a pretty laid-back customer. Eddie (O'Leary) bought him in a field, I think.

"We ended up coming here with only two runners. We thought we had a great team, but they kept getting knocked out and then we got a bug about a month to six weeks ago and we closed up for three weeks and had no runners at all. That's hard to take. Hopefully were the other side of all that now!"

Looking forward to our runners today

"We haven't had runners since Hennessy day at Leopardstown. The horses picked up some bug. It passed from one to another very quickly and they ran temperatures for a few days. We had to be patient and hopefully they're over it."

 "We've done the tests on the horses running over the weekend and they seem fine. We run Corskeagh Royale and The Herds Garden at Navan, while Zigger Zagger and Busty Brown run at Leopardstown on Sunday.

"We'll see how they get on and then wait to see how things go in the week before finalising Cheltenham plans."

Texas Jack wins the Kinloch Brae!

Texas Jack clearing the last like a fresh horse!

Meade said, “He jumps like a buck for Paul and it’s great to have him back on this horse. I think that is probably around his trip and I’m not sure if he gets any further.

“He's probably a horse to stay at home rather than Cheltenham. I was annoyed that I didn’t put him in the John Durkan, and he just wasn’t right around Christmas time. We freshened him up and came here.”

Carberry said, “I’m finally getting the hang of him! I’ve been there too soon on him a couple of times. He always travelled well and jumped super, it’s just that he does pull up in front."

Mullaghanoe gets deserved win!

Meade says “he's very lazy and when he gets there he thinks he has done enough. He did a piece of work the other day which was way better than anything he had done before and if he hadn't made that mistake at the second last, he'd probably have won well.

“I could see him being in an Irish National some day and there's no doubt he could win one of those good staying chases.”

Looking forward to St Stephens day!

We are looking forward to this Christmas, we have some nice horses entered over the week. Here are a few that are declared for Thursday:

LEOPARDSTOWN

12.50: Chancol

He's a lovely horse who won his bumper nicely in Navan the last day, he has been schooling well at home and soft ground should be an advantage to him. We think he has a good chance. 

2.20: Perfect Smile 

He has come out of his fairyhouse run (3rd) very well. If the ground doesn't ride to deep he won't be far away again, but any more rain would be concern. 

 

2.20: Protaras

We were very disappointed with him the last day. Paul Towend rode him that day and said he slipped in to one of his fences and lost his confidence and never traveled in the race after that. So hopefully he'll jump better on Thursday but the rain is a big concern for him. Hoping for a good run.

2.55 Road to Riches

He has been in good form since fairyhouse (3rd Drinmore). We have dropped him down in trip from the last day to see will it help him, we think the course and ground will suit him. He will be up against it with Champagne Fever running, but if your not in you can't win!

3.30 The Herds Garden 

Is a lovely horse who will love the ground soft. We felt we were beaten by a very good horse the last day at fairyhouse (Shaneshill). He has been working very well since and we're looking forward to him running. We think he should put up a good show. 

   

We have a few declared in Down Royal as well which are in good form and think they'll run well. 

HAPPY CHRISTMAS !