Seeking the solution to end frustrating run
Apart from Parramatta in Laytown last Thursday week, it has been a pretty lean time.
I have had very few runners and some of them have run well but a lot of them are running poorly and I’m torn between wondering if it’s the ground or something else.
When you’re training as long as I have, you encounter runs like this. We’ve tested everything, we’ve checked everything and we can’t come up with any reasons.
If someone could tell you why, it would be brilliant because then you could do something about fixing it. But when you can’t put your finger on it, it’s very hard.
Yesterday was a nice pick-me-up as I was invited to Áras an Uachtaráin for a reception President Higgins was hosting for the Olympic team. I went up with Camilla Speirs as part of the eventing squad and I am glad to report that Portersize Just A Jiff, who had such a horrible fall with Camilla at Greenwich Park, is perfectly fine and having a well-deserved holiday.
A lot of the other athletes were there too, including the medallists, Katie Taylor, Cian O’Connor and Paddy Barnes.
It was an honour to go there and see the place. President Higgins and his wife had a brief chat with us all. He couldn’t have been nicer and it was a good thing to be part of.
It was a nice diversion from the day job. Before we had gone in, I had watched One Fine Day travel very easily and just not be able to pick up at all in the heavy ground at Listowel. More of the same.
It would have been lovely if Empress Of Tara had come in at Down Royal last Friday but the line came just too early as she fell a neck short of catching Honour And Obey in the 1m2f fillies’ maiden.
Saturday was very disappointing. Steps To Freedom looked like he was travelling very well in the St Leger but never picked up. I’m hoping it’s the ground. He was fine afterwards but they just should be going better.
Steps was giving Royal Diamond five pounds in the Ebor and only finished four lengths behind him. He ran off level weights with him in the Leger but Royal Diamond won the final Classic of the season and Steps finished 16 lengths back. It’s not making a lot of sense. He is gone off for a break now until December when he’ll begin a hurdling campaign. He has had no luck with the ground and you’d never know, maybe he’ll get it next spring
Also at the Curragh, Johnnys Legacy was running really well but got interfered with and he’s a very big horse so he just couldn’t get going again.
Calissa ran a good race to be third in a two-year-old maiden on ground she didn’t like at Listowel on Sunday. The best thing about it is that she behaved herself, because she has been very difficult to train.
The ground was too soft for Alpine Eagle in the Kerry National on Wednesday and things didn’t work out for him either.
He was just beginning to make a forward move when the [David] Pipe horse, Premier Dane, fell in front of him. There was no getting into the race then.
Heroic Endeavour is running in Hamilton tomorrow and will stay to race in England after that. There are more opportunities for him there and hopefully he’ll win a little race for the owners.
I will be in Gowran if the ground stays as good as they say it will be. There might be rain tomorrow, though, and if there’s too much, none of the four intended runners will take their chances.
Stop Road Lad gets things under way in the 2½m maiden hurdle. His last two runs have been good. He was second in Kilbeggan before being unlucky in Clonmel when he just didn’t come down the hill before finishing like a train to be fourth, less than three lengths behind the winner. I’d be hoping he’s in with a shout.
Johnny’s Legacy hasn’t run over hurdles in a long time but seems to be becoming more of a man. He is probably well handicapped over hurdles.
Magical Memoir hasn’t run in a year but has been ready for the last two months. She doesn’t run in the winter because she only goes on good ground. She had a wind operation in the spring and since then I’ve been just waiting to run her.
She is joined in the mares’ hurdle by Burn And Turn. I have been trying to run her over fences but the ground has been too heavy. If the going is reasonable, she should be in the melting pot over 2½m. She seems to be in good form and is probably my best chance of a winner over the weekend.
One other I am really looking forward to on Monday is Ticket Man in the big sales’ race at Fairyhouse. I would love the ground to be good for him but we’re due that rain tomorrow so I’m a little bit depressed about that. I think he’d run very well in it because he has the experience.
