IT was a good summer. May wasn’t great but it got really nice about mid-June and the horses all look well.

Plenty of ours go home for the summer but a lot stay with us too. Some horses could be back in training from early or mid-July and the real winter horses start to come back in at the start of August. The timing depends on what you are targeting with them.

Honeysuckle had a lovely summer with Peter Molony at Rathmore Stud in Co Limerick. She looks brilliant.

We’ve decided to keep her over hurdles and I’d say she will have a similar campaign to last season, starting with the Hatton’s Grace, skipping Christmas and then Leopardstown, Cheltenham and Punchestown in the spring.

Our Grand National winner Minella Times recovered well after Aintree but it was never the plan to run him again after that and he went back to the McManus family’s Martinstown Stud for the summer. He came back looking brilliant. He won the National off 146 and ended up on 162 in the end-of-season Anglo-Irish ratings, though he is rated 159 in Ireland. We haven’t discussed plans for him yet.

The Gold Cup winner Minella Indo missed Punchestown with a bruised foot. He stayed with us for the summer and he had a great few months. We’re aiming him at the Champion Chase in Down Royal in early November, so it’s possible he could have an early start.

Put The Kettle On also stayed here for the summer. She enjoyed her holiday and is in fine fettle. The plan is to run her in the PWC Champion Chase at Gowran Park on Saturday, October 2nd. Her owners, the Dermodys, are looking forward to seeing her run at their local track.

She has won all four of her starts at Cheltenham and will hopefully go back there for the Shloer Chase in November. After that we will take a look and see where we are.

Bob Olinger missed Punchestown after giving a cough but he has summered well and is looking great. He jumps well, so we’re going chasing with him. He’s done very little wrong in his career to-date but this is a new season and a new test for him.

A Plus Tard has always been a good horse – he beat Chacun Pour Soi over two miles at Leopardstown one day – but the step up in trip to three miles seemed to bring out improvement in him last season. He won at Leopardstown over Christmas and then finished second to Minella Indo at Cheltenham. The one thing with him is he is definitely better going left-handed. For that reason we are looking at the Betfair Chase in Haydock on November 20th with him.

Quilixios was very good in the Triumph Hurdle and I’d say Punchestown was just one run too many for him. He has grown and strengthened into a gorgeous horse. We haven’t any firm plans for him and while it hasn’t been discussed I’d imagine he will stay over hurdles.

After being pulled up at Punchestown, Envoi Allen had a chip removed from his near hind joint. He had a nice break, is back cantering and seems really good now.

Henry de Bromhead was in conversation with Mark Costello