ADO McGuinness has enjoyed a fine start to the season and his flag bearer for the last few seasons - Bubbly Bellini - has proved a terrific money spinner over the early weeks of the campaign.
McGuinness said: “Bubbly has been a revelation this year. He has been so consistent and while he has gone up a good bit in the ratings, that will help him get into some of the big sprint handicaps in England and long-term, I’ll aim him at the Ayr Gold Cup.”
He added: “We’ve had a great start to the year and the horses are healthy and well. Winners give you confidence and those better horses are easier to place and train. It is important to have a good start to the season as it gives everyone a boost, including the owners, as they can see that you can do the job right.
“I get a great kick when I train a winner. I make no apologies for it, but I do get very loud when one of mine is running well and I suppose that is what makes it all worthwhile. I read there that one English trainer tends not to get too worked up when he trains a winner, but I can’t understand that – he wouldn’t want to be too close to me in the stands when one of mine looks as if he/she might get involved!”
Gary Bannon is one of the unsung heroes of the game and McGuinness stated: “Gary works hard and he came to me seven years ago and only for him, I’d be in trouble. He is my head man and is a great asset to have in the yard and he is a vital cog in the yard.
“Roca Rojo looked a very smart filly when she won her maiden at Killarney and she followed that up with another win at Gowran on Wednesday. The aim now is to get some blacktype for the filly whose future plans include the Brownstown Stakes at Fairyhouse and a trip to Ascot.”
BEAU SATCHEL
5yo b g /0000111624106-25222
Indesatchel - Sweet Patoopie
Total Recall Racing Club
He is in at the weekend in Listowel and he has been in great form this year. He has yet to run a bad race and he was second in a premier handicap at the Curragh on Sunday. He is a horse with plenty of pace and I thought he’d struggle to see out the trip (a mile) at the weekend, but he came home very well so that opens up more options for him. We’ll aim him at the big mile handicap at Galway but the premier handicap on Derby weekend could be next for him. He has been a great servant and he won four for us last year and we are delighted with him. He has really hit top form over the last 12 months and he has the pace for six or seven. He’ll go on any ground bar extremes.
BLACK LABEL
4yo b g 722/439263341-
Medicean - Black Belt Shopper
D. Daly
He won a maiden for me over the winter but he was a little bit disappointing over hurdles on the soft ground. He might run on the flat at Navan on Saturday, but he will mix it away over the summer. I think he’ll improve for the better ground. He looked a nice horse when he won his maiden and I hope that he’ll be competitive for us under both codes during the summer.
BUBBLY BELLINI
8yo b g -67312131
Mull of Kintyre - Gwapa
Gary Devlin and Ms Hazel McGuinness
He has been a star for us and he has won three on the grass for us this year and he deserves to take his chance in a real good race somewhere. I have him in at Ascot, but he might not get his ground over there. He handles good ground, but he is a better horse on soft. The Ayr Gold Cup is likely to be his big target this year and he has options over five and six and he’ll be entered for the big sprint handicap on Derby weekend at the Curragh. He might not have his ground for much longer, so to win three with him at this stage of the year means that we can really pick and choose where we go with him. He hasn’t won over seven, but that is an option at some stage.
FACE VALUE
7yo b g /093306820/19-31
Tobougg - Zia
Sean F. Gallagher
He has done well for us and I thought he was very courageous when he won a nice flat race for us at Clonmel a few weeks ago. He loves to bowl along up front and he will do a bit of both for the rest of the season. He was a bit disappointing at Ballinrobe but we’ll freshen him now and aim at a couple of races at Galway. He has run well around there and he loves the hill. He is back going great again and the big amateur handicap is there for him on the first night. He might jump a fence as well at some stage.
He is not a big, robust horse so he doesn’t want winter ground and summer soft is perfect for him. He is a tough, hardened handicapper and he is a great horse to have in the yard and I am delighted that he is running so well for Sean Gallagher, who has been a great supporter of mine.
FIRST POST
8yo b g /475363823936145-
Celtic Swing - Consignia
Joseph E. Keeling
He had a little setback after he ran over hurdles and we’ll aim at the likes of Listowel. He wants a little dig in the ground and I think he is well enough handicapped on the flat. He should be able to win his maiden hurdle and I am just going to take my time with him. He’ll be back for the back end and he will do a bit of both.
MR BOSS MAN
7yo b g 55-7
Beneficial - Sarah Massini
Camillus Slevin
He won over hurdles for Frances Slevin but she has no flat licence, so he’ll be coming back to me to run on the flat. He looked a good horse on Monday when he won a maiden hurdle at Ballinrobe and he has a nice mark on the flat and he does stay well. I’d say there is a nice race to be won with him over a trip on the flat and he could turn out to be a nice dual-purpose horse for the summer as he does like a bit of nice ground. He is a real fun horse and he will jump a fence as well at some stage. He does need a bit of time between his races.
LIFFEY VIEW
3yo ch f 559064210-426
Arcano - April
Kieran Sheahan and Liam Sheahan
She’ll run at Listowel on Sunday and her main aim is the three-year-old handicap at Galway on the Friday night. I was delighted with her run at Killarney and I’d say she bumped into a good horse that day. We’ll step her up in trip as well at some stage and she is a grand tough filly that takes her racing very well.
OAKFIELD ROSE
4yo ch f 6-00
Iffraaj - Marimar
T. Heatrick
She is a big, immature filly and I was a little bit disappointed with her the other night at Ballinrobe. I thought she’d run better than she did, but she has come out of her race well. She never got a run at all and I think is capable of getting competitive in a mares’ bumper. She will run on the flat as well and she will jump a hurdle later on this year. She likes good ground and I think she is better than she showed the other night. We’ll give her a chance now and freshen her up and I’ll try and find another mares’ bumper and see how she gets on.
OOR JOCK
7yo ch g -84323434
Shamardal - Katdogawn
T. Heatrick
He has been unlucky not to win one this year but I think there is a good race in him. We will run him away in six and seven furlong handicaps and we’ll keep an eye on a race for him at Galway – he ran well around there last year. I think he is better racing around a bend and I’ll try and keep him to tracks where he has to go around a bend as much as I can. I think there is a good day in him somewhere and it wouldn’t surprise me if won a couple of races this year. He has been creeping up the handicap though and he has suffered a bit for his consistency.
RIGID ROCK
8yo b g -108480
Refuse To Bend - Delia
Sean F. Gallagher
He is back and he is a grand horse for those low grade handicaps and he is owned by Sean Gallagher who loves to have a few runners at Bellewstown and that is the plan for him. Hopefully he’ll be competitive in whatever race he runs in. He is a tough, solid little horse and he can be relied upon to run his race.
RISING EURO
8yo b g /009-0
Chineur - Rising Lady
Sean F. Gallagher
He is barred from racing on the flat, so he’ll go over hurdles at Kilbeggan on Friday. There are a few low grade handicaps that he will get into at Ayr during the summer, but we’ll see how Friday goes first. If he doesn’t show us enough over hurdles, we’ll probably retire him.
ROCA ROJO
3yo b f 11
Strategic Prince - Lucy Diamonds
Roca Partnership
She looked very good when she won her maiden at Killarney. I don’t come across horses like her too often and she came to me from Joanna Morgan, who had all the hard work done with her. She won the winners’ race at Gowran well on Wednesday and has now won two from two. I’d say she’ll be entered for Ascot. I have put her in the Brownstown Stakes at Fairyhouse as I’d love to get some blacktype for her. And on the evidence of her two victories to date, she certainly looks like a stakes filly.
She has just been very good from day one and she worked very well at Leopardstown one day with Bubbly Bellini and we knew then that she was good. I looked for a handicap mark for her, but the handicapper wouldn’t give her one. She was very green when she won at Killarney and she needs more practice.
She looks a very smart filly and hopefully she will continue to progress. There have been a lot of offers for her and it is great from my point of view that her owners, who also bred her, want to hang onto her. The day she won, her dam had a colt foal and her half- brother, who Joanna trained to win at Royal Ascot, has done very well in Hong Kong.
SOUNDS OF THUNDER
8yo b m /9326/
Tobougg - Distant Music
Sean F. Gallagher
She has been off for a long time, but she will mix it on the flat and over hurdles for the summer. She is back in and she looks great.
SPECIFIC GRAVITY
7yo b g /87794209056-
Dansili - Colza
Total Recall Racing Club
He is on the way back. He is a horse that I thought a fair bit of, but he has been a bit disappointing. He doesn’t need heavy ground, but he needs summer soft and I’d imagine the likes of Listowel would be an option for him. He has a high enough rating on the flat but he ran very well in a good race at Leopardstown last year. If the handicapper gave him a chance, I think he’ll be competitive in a good handicap on the flat on slow ground before the season is out.
TORTHAI AN GHRA
3yo b f 072008-
Fruits of Love - Distant Shore
Sean F. Gallagher
She is a lowly-rated filly and she was a bit weak last year. She has strengthened up a good bit and I think she’ll be okay when we step her up in trip. She does stay well and we have already schooled her over hurdles. She will do both jobs later on this year, but I think she’ll be competitive in her own grade on a bit of nice ground over a mile and a quarter plus. She does stay very well. She is a real honest type of filly and she’ll be okay.
PIVOT BRIDGE
7yo ch g /51072399-10
Pivotal - Specifically
D. Daly
He has been a great servant and he ran very well in valuable handicap hurdles already this year and the plan is that I’ll freshen him up now for something at Galway. He has a few options down there and maybe the big flat handicap over a mile and a half might suit him. I ran him at the Curragh on Sunday over two miles, but he appeared not to get home. There is a big day in him and he was second there last year and I’d say he might jump a fence as well. He is a very good dual-purpose horse and he is versatile ground-wise, but summer soft is probably ideal for him. He’ll get a little break now and then we’ll get him ready for Galway.
UNNAMED
2yo b c
Bushranger – High Society Girl
He is a back end type and we’ll probably castrate him and let him off and have him back for a maiden over six or seven furlongs. He is a horse with plenty of speed.
2yo b c
Rajj - Alycus
He is a nice horse but he is big and raw and he will need a bit more time. He has grown a lot and we’ll give him every chance and he might be a horse that could start off in a maiden at Dundalk later on this year.
2yo gr f
Zebedee – Lears Crown
She goes well and I like her and she isn’t too far off a run. She has done all that has been asked of her and we’ll find a maiden for her over next month or so.
FOUR-YEAR-OLDS
4yo b f
Flemesnfirth -
She is a nice filly and we’ll give her a good break over the summer and we’ll get her going in a bumper towards the end of the year.
ALL’S QUIET
4yo b g