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We head to Dundalk tomorrow with a few. It’s been a quiet week with runners but Ruby’s retirement stopped me last evening. The greatest, without question, he brought a lot of happiness to a lot of people. I could ramble on ad infinitum. A thought struck me watching my own horses riding out a few weeks ago. Amateurs and an apprentice and a would be apprentice were riding them. Each riding with plenty of leg, locked on, horses relaxed and everything happening in front of them. When I was a kid learning the ropes you couldn’t ride short enough, literally knees touching, ready to be launched. Ruby changed that, dropped them 6 inches and it’s now the norm. He popularised horsemanship, put the emphasis on it. It’s worth looking back at this year’s Supreme Novices, that Klassical Dream was hard work in the prelims. I’m convinced he would have got the better of most. Anyway I digress but Christ he was extraordinary. 4 tomorrow and we run 2 in the €30k extended 10 furlongs fillies handicap. 7 go to post and we’re shoehorning both in to this event simply because of the small field and money on offer. I should be a conscientious objector when it comes to Dundalk and the surface issues but my conscience wouldn’t allow me leave these 2 ladies on the sidelines while 5 battled for their share of €30k. Cautious Approach was terrific the last night and probably should have won but for tripping slightly turning in. The step up in trip is a slight unknown but she looks and is bred to stay. She had a go at 11f as a 3yo and definitely didn’t stay but she was a much lankier unfurnished rasher then. I’m hoping the 2 fillies at the head of the market might have their winning done. Bianca Minola runs also and her question is the surface. She’s better with plenty of juice but she’s not slow and has no physical infirmities to prevent her from letting herself  down on it. Interestingly her best run is on fast ground albeit over 13 furlongs and in defeat. Let’s see. Khabaray is next and he definitely would not be in training except my father owns him. He had very good form 2 years ago but showed less than nothing last year. He was a work horse for everybody and I felt he may have suffered for the tough schedule. He has been trained properly this year and is showing nothing. He has loads done and I’m running him in an effort to spark some life in him. The most frustrating thing is there doesn’t appear to be anything wrong with him. We’ll just have to see. Lord Cooper is last. He runs off his proper mark this time but even with 11lbs less than the last day a repeat would see him disappointing. He’s showing bits and pieces and he’s another that won’t be seen again unless he’s competitive. He was a nice horse in his day, he’s still young and doesn’t have anything obviously amiss, they usually do something. It’s up to him.

Limerick tomorrow and if this rain keeps up it’s going to be a slog. Probably a fair few non runners aswell and we may end up with a reserve getting in and 4 runners as a result. Papal Count was refused a mark after his 3rd run and we’re trying to get him out quick. He didn’t progress much from his first run to his second and needs to be careful. Handicapping is where his future lies for sure and to get going at it ASAP is the priority. Dianthus runs in the first. I was concerned pre race that she may be too gassy for her first run and so it proved. She showed plenty and if that weak finishing effort can be fully explained by lack of fitness and over exuberance then she should be bashing down the door tomorrow. Her draw in 12 doesn’t help but I had notions that this lady was stakes class in testing conditions and she’d want to be getting on and proving me right or wrong. Dean Street Doll is next and she’s drawn in 2 in what appears to be a tough enough maiden. This lady is interesting in that she is well bred, has a Guineas entry and had a more than satisfactory debut last backend. She has been in training just shy of 4 months and is ready to start back. She looked wintry for ages but has started to look well this 2 weeks past. Anyway she shows plenty of dash and I think she’s a lovely filly in the making but she’s going to take time. Her mother was a late developer and stayed well. This lady will more than likely be similar. As was the case on debut she needs to do things sensibly and conserve and finish her race, a nice positive run is the priority, winning would be a surprise but one I could cope with. Bianca Minola goes in the (almost) 12f handicap later and it would be a surprise if she were to get involved. Her angle is the ground, she handles hock deep conditions and just hasn’t been getting them. Saying that she appears to be going through the motions and for a fully fit filly that is moving well and healthy she’s not troubling the judge or even close to it. I can’t think of any reason not to run her so run she will and maybe it might spark a return to form. I could do with the same!

We’re in Tipperary tomorrow with just the one runner in the first. If schadenfreude was your thing then observing me on the first day of the turf would have left you electrified. It was a tough day, expectations were high and tomorrow’s 2 year old was expected to get the ball rolling. A run full of promise was expected. Ampeson jumped slowly, travelled poorly and stopped with about a furlong to run. It was desperate stuff explained hopefully by a poor draw and stage fright. He is a lovely big colt that had some lovely bits of work done before he ran. I’ll eat my hat if he doesn’t have a career, interestingly he’s getting a little ahead of himself and may have to be stripped of his prized possessions before he starts to fulfil what he ought to be capable of. Getting back on track, travelling amongst them and passing a couple late on would be great. Everything crossed

We head to Dundalk with 2 tomorrow. There’s a bit of chatter about the number of meetings being held here at the moment. I’m inclined to agree. It’d be better a lot if we were racing on turf as much as possible this time of year. Winning margins were exaggerated (in several races) at the last meeting. It’s a slight concern whether the surface is playing fair or not. Several trainers have lost confidence in the place. There are talks of replacing the track. Sooner rather than later would be my hope. Dandy Belle runs in the 5f 3 only handicap. It’s a shot in the dark. She has been tipping away fine without even coming close to troubling the judge. Her father has produced plenty of fast ones and it’s worth checking if she can be one of them. This will pass her by if she’s not careful and we have opted for blinkers to help her. Fingers crossed it’s a good idea. Cautious Approach runs in the 65 mile for apprentices and she has been well drawn in 3. She should be better than her mark and tomorrow will back that up or cause a revisit. Her last run was her first in a handicap and Colin Keane blew the race apart in the first 100 yards. Bobby Boy went on to win, this lady never found her feet and ran merely adequately. Tomorrow is a good chance for her to get back on track. Hopefully that happens  

We head to Naas tomorrow with 3 runners. That’s Mad is our first runner in the 6f maiden. He’s well drawn in 6 and having already beaten the favourite he has to have his chance. Aidan’s improve of course but maybe one of mine will too. There are about 44 others to contend with so a good run would be nice. He was in the background and I hoped he’d show enough the last day to suggest there would be days in him. He did that and more and if we were a little more aware of what was under the bonnet he may have won. He’s a poster boy for the power of training, he tips away every day, eats and rests, does his 2 canters and he was obviously coming away every day and improving. Anyway tomorrow will tell a lot. May Remain runs next. He was eye catching the last day. He was in the process of running quite well and got blocked, after a hiatus of 50 yards he was asked again and passed a few to finish 10th of 23. All very encouraging but these eyecatchers can be overstated. He has to back it up now tomorrow. It’s up to him now. Bianca runs in the last. She disgraced herself Sunday and it feels a bit risky turning her back so quick. Of course I wouldn’t contemplate it if something showed but it didn’t. She went racing in apparently terrific form, ran like a drain and came home in terrific form. Hopefully she gets back on track. Horses disappoint all the time and growing up it was always explained away immediately with the first plausible excuse. Didn’t stay, ground too sticky or not sticky enough or not the right kind of sticky, the virus etc etc. Staying and ground conditions or tactics can make the difference of lengths but falling out the back of the telly is lameness, sickness, bursting ( EIPH) or being in season. Fatigue is preventing me thinking of others. The first 2 should be obvious post race. The 3rd and 4th can be insidious and difficult to diagnose. I’m hoping she was in season. It’s the time of year for it. Tomorrow will tell a bit more.

We head to Gowran tomorrow with 3. The racing is extraordinarily competitive at the moment. I probably touched on this but everyone seems to have had an easy time of it this winter/spring and field sizes are through the roof. Weld and JSB are back killing it, Aidan’s are more forward than I ever remember them and it’s tough out there. Try we must. Dianthus starts back tomorrow after a long break. It’s unusual in that she has missed 9 months without a hint of a problem. She ran Irish Derby weekend late June and I trained her across July with half an eye on a Listed fillies race in Galway. She was only going ok and I decided to give her 3 weeks off. She was due to come back late August but there was only one run of the mill Leopardstown handicap for her to finish the season so we started her winter break early. She came back to be prepared for The Lincoln but a bruised foot scuppered that plan. I’m not sure the Lincoln would have worked anyway as she has gotten way ahead of herself mentally. She’s full of gas and stupidity and I can’t see her conserving enough tomorrow to be able to find at the business end of things. She looks well and is probably fit but she may need the run to get her to cop on a bit and settle in to a better routine at home. With tomorrow under her belt we can start to make a plan. She’s talented. She could get the better of Maths Prize all spring and early summer and even when he hit his peak he could only just about get the better of her off level weights. The track is where it matters however and tomorrow is hopefully a step back in the right direction. Dandy Belle is next. I was a little disappointed with her opening effort at Dundalk a few weeks back but we probably rode her wrong in a very competitive race against fit horses over a trip too far. If that’s the case then tomorrow she’ll get back on track. Getting a handle on these 3yo handicappers is very hard. This lady should be well able off her mark. She’s a fine, strong, straight forward filly that should be giving her owners plenty of fun. We’re getting a little bit away from worthwhile form and tomorrow is an important day in deciding her future.   Papal Count is in the maiden and it’s his first run for us and his 2nd in his life. He had one mediocre run as a 3yo and his owners decided to give him plenty of time. He has been tipping away and given he has been a model citizen for the last 3 months he’s entitled to a day at the races to see if he can build a little career for himself. Apocryphal or otherwise I heard a story of Mark Johnston opting to run a 2yo at the backend rather than sending him home. The horse appeared to be useless but his policy was/is to run them all to confirm or not. Anyway he struggled everywhere before staying on to get up late home. He was Double Eclipse. Let’s see….

I neglected to update before T For Tango won in Ayr last October and took a bit of stick for it. My form wasn’t great at the time and I honestly felt we’d have been better heading to Limerick or Navan to get our backsides kicked rather than driving all the way to Scotland. Anyway that was his chance and he took it with both hands and won easy. It taught me plenty, these horses we have, get their chances from time to time, everything stacks up and they need to capitalise. Hindsight is wonderful but foresight would have been better the last day. Apparently the dogs on the street knew that a high draw was a disadvantage and this lad was unable to defy it. I felt aggrieved until I realised Chessman would have kicked him out of the way if they were both drawn low. On to today, I swore I wouldn’t run T For Tango until we found a barely raceable straight 6 for this fella. I changed my mind when I saw this fairly nice ground 7f around a bend.  ? I have a major problem looking at fit healthy horses in their boxes and couldn’t resist running him. I still worry about him breaking slow and travelling sluggishly to finish eyecatchingly but it’s worth a go. Wayne will know him and be ready for him, he’ll still play late but hopefully he stays the trip and can get a win on the board. Have to stay relaxed, they’ll come. Bianca runs tomorrow and if there was value in pursuing the hurdles route we’ll find out here. It’s a huge field and I question her appetite for this jumping game. She has cheekpieces on and Rachael Blackmore to assist from on high. I follow the national hunt scene as a fan but wouldn’t be found trawling through the point to point results on a Monday evening. Those days are gone. I fall asleep now with a copy of The Smartest Giant in Town and 3 urchins sprawled everywhere. However whenever I mention Rachael she is spoke of in glowing terms. She can get horses to do extraordinary things apparently, she’ll have to convince this little lady to really exert herself tomorrow.

Our 2nd day on turf was a bit more reassuring than the first but we’re still searching for a winner. These horses appear to be taking their first runs and we’ll just keep the heads down and assume it’ll all come together. It wouldn’t surprise if it was a few weeks yet. To Leopardstown tomorrow with a runner in each of the last 3 races. Undeniable Fact runs in the fillies maiden. She’s straightforward and was her own worst enemy on debut. She jumped smart and raced far too prominently and calved after 4 furlongs. It’s important we learn a little more tomorrow. It may take a little longer than I hoped but she has a job, I’m convinced of it. Barend Boy attempted the impossible on his first run for us. He set a searing gallop in a very hot Madrid and failed to finish his race. We learned very little and we need to build a picture of this lad tomorrow. He took the race well and hopefully we see enough to suggest there’s fun to be had. When a horse comes about the place and settles in to our routine, stays happy and relaxed, stays eating and can complete their 2 canters daily they generally have a job. That’s this fella. Fingers crossed. Global Pass is in the last and with a good draw and rattling quick ground he’s one horse I thought may defy his long absence. He’s drawn 16 and there’ll be plenty of yielding in the going so that’s that. A start will do him no harm. He looks well and healthy and hopefully he can round off an evening of reasonable promise.    

Last Sunday was a bit of a quietener. Plenty to be learned however and we head to Navan tomorrow with plenty of runners.   That’s Mad has his 3rd run in the 5f maiden and his job appears to be in handicaps. Falling out the back of the TV and then expecting them to be a revelation with a mark doesn’t really work in my opinion. He’ll need to travel kindly and find a bit late on to justify persisting. Alan’s Pride and May Remain follow and they’re drawn low and high respectively. Alan gave us a huge day last May being a part of a Curragh double and I would have expected him to add to that but the wheels came off shortly after. He went to Leopardstown and from a wide draw, on lightning fast ground, he followed a crazy gallop and was in ribbons after. We tried him a couple of more times but it just wasn’t working. He’s probably in similar form to last season’s debut and he’d be deadly over a straight 6 or The Curragh 7. He’s 10lbs higher now which is a bit of a nuisance! It’s an ideal time to have a look at him over 5. He’s effective over 6 so it’ll be interesting.   May Remain is in last chance saloon. His 2 runs have been poor. He’d want to threaten tomorrow to encourage his owners to continue. His exercise has always been perfectly adequate but he has shown nothing and tomorrow is D Day.   Chessman is next. That’s one deep listed race and in reality it’s just an opportunity to learn a bit more about this guy. His run last Sunday was excellent in my opinion. I thought he looked like a 6f horse and tomorrow he can confirm that or we can go back to thinking of him as a late-play 7f specialist. The best-fresh angle is another we’re learning about. He’s entitled to improve plenty for last Sunday’s outing and we were keen to give him the chance to do that rather than spend the season assuming freshness was a requirement for him. Anyway we’ll see. I’m an optimist and every now and again someone lands on a cheap star and until tomorrow afternoon we can dream that’s us. Nor’easter goes next and I’d rather not discuss last week’s effort. I think I got caught mollycoddling this fella. I’m very fond of him and hoped he could be a chance at a different level of horse. I minded him therefore and he was a bit over fresh. He was awkward going to post and by the time Billy got him settled and loaded he had switched right off. He jumped slowly, travelled poorly, wide and in rear and never got involved. I’m willing to take the blame but he needs to prove himself tomorrow. He needs to be level pre race, jump with them, in the van and make use of that ability he has to gallop. Here’s hoping. Cautious Approach finishes up our day in a very competitive handicap. She won a maiden on her most recent run and she was left on 66 for that. She will be able to cope with that mark but the top lad looks like he could cope with his too. The priority with this lady is to keep her looking well with plenty of condition. She’s prone to getting lean and if she can stay in the shape she’s in now she’ll have a productive season.    

Our 3rd full season starts tomorrow and it’s excitement and trepidation all round. Preparation for this day started on the 7th of January and we have had a slightly smoother time of it this year. The weather has been kinder and that has made the graft easier. Some of the horses appear to be forward in their coats and fitness. Others, with the exact same prep, are still hibernating. We have 6 runners tomorrow, kicking off with a 2 year old. Up to now any baby I’ve trained has had to have a break after their first round of training. Whether appetite has waned or shins have become sore or they simply weren’t showing a lot I have had to take the foot off the pedal. Ampeson is a strong bodied colt with plenty of depth and to my surprise has come ready for a run on his first round of training. He conducts himself well and that is the focus for me. He needs to be much better jumping out of stalls than he is at home. It’s my opinion that if you let them learn that skill racing they retain their composure in the stalls for the future. Anyway it’s nice to have a runner. Something clued in with plenty of zip or even several with those qualities  will get the better of this lad tomorrow. Undeniable Fact runs in the 6 furlong maiden and is a newcomer aswell. She nearly got to the races at 2 but we just ran out of time. She was an inexpensive purchase and had looked a simple filly that would give her owners a bit of fun, up until recently. I’d like to think she’d show enough tomorrow to suggest she’s better than that. She’ll be green and the trip will be too short but she’s nice.   T For Tango and Chessman are next. The first lad won for us last year and maybe he’d had enough when he failed off an 8lb higher mark. He has a quirk and I think he’s not one to turn the screw with in training terms. We’re in the dark fitness wise and hopefully he can show enough to suggest there’s more days in him this year. Chessman is a new addition. He came from 2 top outfits in Gosden and most recently Archie Watson. For a horse of his age and rating he was cheap at £12k. I was hoping he’d stay in one piece once we started training him. He has and tomorrow will give us an idea where we are with him. I suspect he’s very very talented but may need everything to fall right. Hopefully we can help with that, we just need to learn about him. You learn by sending them racing and let’s see what tomorrow looks like.   Barend Boy runs in The Madrid.  This is a high class renewal, Dianthus wouldn’t have even got in this year. Anyway Barend Boy is new to us, as is his group of owners. Some are new to racehorse ownership and others have had interests in horses before. They’ll have a lot of fun with this lad. A more professional, straight forward horse you could not hope to come across. His weight and draw gives him a chance to capitalise but it’s a tough contest. The owners know racing and any of us aren’t completely certain what this lad is. If he’s a sprinter, miler or middle distance horse is unclear and this is a neutral starting point. Here’s hoping. Nor’easter is last and he’ll be dead from waiting around all day! He had one run last year and it was an excellent effort on ground too quick. He got very lean looking on the back of that run and it was felt a second run might leave a mark. He looked amazing after a 5 week break and hasn’t missed a beat since January 7th. He’s quite dedicated to this business of exercise and graft and would start the season with little reserves if he had as much done as some of the others. It’s a hot maiden and being realistic a good run will be more than satisfactory. These are nice horses that anyone would be proud to train and hopefully we can use tomorrow to springboard to successful seasons and careers. To all those reading this Thank you for checking in and whether it’s punting, owning or just adoring these wonderful animals, all the best for 2019. Should be fun.