Blog

Tomorrow is the opening day of the flat season here in Ireland and it’s a day we’ve been looking forward to for a while. It’s quite a big deal for a small outfit and hopefully they do themselves justice.   Conditions will be a little different from skipping around Dundalk and the theory of being fit from the all weather could be tested.     Dianthus is first in the Madrid handicap, a 7f event for 3 year olds only. She’s a big raw filly that put together a couple of good runs last backend. But for getting a little lonely in Gowran on her 2nd last start she could have her maiden won. Had that happened she’d be running here having won her last start and a mark 7lbs higher. She has been working well, looks well but has a terrible draw in 14. This filly has made the winter shorter and I’m really looking forward to getting her started.   The Lincoln is next and we have 3 for it. It may appear as if I identified all the horses in the yard with a rating above 80 that stay a mile and just entered them. It’s kind of what I did do but I’m happy to run each of them for different reasons.  Beach Bar is the easiest to make a case for. He has been fantastic over the last 6 months, he’s well drawn and has handled a cut in the past.  Oxygen requirements will be high here and hopefully he has the cop on to conserve a little for late on. He still has room with his mark and is well drawn in 2. He’s a grafter and I think he can run better than last time.   Captain Cat arrived 3 weeks ago. He’s a huge, tall, grumpy Giraffe. Formerly top notch, his recent efforts wouldn’t get him involved but on the off chance he rediscovered his engine, it’s worth giving it a go. He’s nice and sound and healthy. I haven’t put any pressure on him. He’s stuck in 2nd gear at present and he’ll need to get out of it fairly rapid to get involved here.   Maths Prize has his first run for us. He was bought 5 months ago. He’s an unassuming type that was thought a lot of in Roger Charlton’s at one stage. His work is good, he appears to be nice and healthy and with 8 stone ( Sean claims 5) I’d like to think he’s entitled to run well. The testing ground would be a concern.   We’ll be keeping the heads down, going through the process, getting these horses racing and trying to get a winnner. Fingers crossed for s good start