CONOR O’DWYER

Dundalk is vital to me, it’s that simple. We have those good-ground, dual-purpose type horses that seem to handle the surface and they will be campaigned up there for the winter. The likes of Jon Ess seems to love the place. In fairness, the prize money is attractive enough for owners to keep their horses in training over the winter. I think the standard drops a little bit too, which tends to give lowly rated horses a chance of picking up a race as well.

Jon Ess is a three-time winner at Dundalk Photo: Healy Racing

JON ESS

4yo ch g (1000667)

Dragon Pulse - Novosibirsk

Brinkleys Syndicate

He loves the place and long term, he might jump a hurdle next year, but we have had Dundalk on his radar for a while and we had him to start last night over a mile and a quarter. He seems to be in very good form and we gave him an easy time during the summer. He won’t handle that winter ground at all, but he likes Dundalk, so it will be more of the same for him this winter.

LETMEBREEZE

3yo ch f (70)

Fast Company - Titus Wonder

J Browne

She ran a lovely race on her debut at Gowran, but she was disappointing at Galway the last day. I’d forgive any horse a poor run at Galway as the ground was testing enough and it was a big ask for a filly going there with just the one run under her belt. She goes well and she’ll run in a maiden next Friday, and assuming she takes to the place, she’ll be campaigned up there for the winter.

PAULA’S PRAYER

3yo b f (086)

Pour Moi - Mary Anastatia

C P McLoughlin

She has a rating of 55 and has had just the three outings on the grass, but she ran a nice race at Navan the last day over a mile and five. There are plenty of races up there for her over a mile and a half. I think she has a nice mark and she’ll be competitive up there for the winter.

RAISE THE TEMPO

3yo b f (7974000)

Most Improved - Easy Going

Brinkleys Syndicate

She has a low mark, but the lads tell me that she is better than that and when things fall right for her, I think she’ll be competitive in her own grade. She tries to do everything on one breath, so there must have been something bothering her. Once she learns how to race properly, she could be a well-handicapped filly. I’d say a mile is her trip. She looked like a mile and a quarter filly early on, but she was running too keen and a bit on her nerves, so it might be that she develops into a mile and a quarter filly down the line.

ROSES QUEEN

3yo b f (3055770)

Casamento - Victory Peak

Muhammad Azam

She has been a bit disappointing and I think she is better than what she has shown to date, but I am going to jump a hurdle with her and if she enjoyed that, she could mix it for the winter. She stays well.

TRUMP CARD

5yo b g (F: 84561, NH: 4/9-03)

Lilbourne Lad - Breach Of Peace

Trump Syndicate

He ran well over hurdles during the week, but he is fairly ground dependant and won’t run on soft, so we’ll target a few two-mile races at Dundalk. He handles the surface, he stays well and off his current mark, I think he’ll be competitive up there for us for the winter.

ANTHONY MCCANN

Dundalk is more or less our local track. We have around 30 in but only a handful of them will handle that deep winter ground, so we’ll campaign the rest of them at Dundalk. It’s our bread and butter and I’d say we’ll have the best part of 25 horses that we’ll run at Dundalk for the winter. It has been a lucky track for us and we bought a few horses recently with a view to racing them up there for the winter.

We have attracted a few new owners into the yard and apart from the balloting, it’s a good place for owners to go racing. We’d all love the Grade 1 horses to go to the big tracks every Sunday, but you have to be realistic. We had a very good winter at Dundalk last year and we have a good few horses that we have kept by to run up there for the winter. We’re looking forward to it.

ALHAJJAJ

5yo gr g (451-876)

Cacique - Strawberry Morn

Miss Rita Shah

He won a maiden for Godolphin and we really like him. He’ll go for an apprentice handicap shortly and I’d say a mile or a mile and a quarter is his trip. I like this horse and he is not here that long, but he is after settling into his new routine and he is one that I am looking forward to running over the winter.

ISLAND COURT

3yo b g (450689)

Camelot - First Breeze

He is a very nice horse by Camelot and I like him a lot. He has a nice low mark (56) and I’d say seven or a mile is his trip. He could be one to follow for the winter as I think he could have a nice mark.

JAZZY J

3yo b g (unraced)

Red Jazz - Lady Elsie

Ballybayfordrinkintae Syndicate

He was due to start last night. He won a schooling race there recently at Dundalk and he is another that we’ll have for a winter campaign for a new group of owners, called the Ballybayfordrinkintae Syndicate. I’d say they’ll get a good bit of fun out of this lad and we’ll see how he gets on this week, but the plan is to have him for the winter as well. I’d say a mile and a quarter to a mile and a half is his trip.

LAUGHTON

5yo b g (9208316)

Acclamation - Peach Pearl

James McAuley

He is another horse that came to us recently from the sales. He ran a nice race on his first start for us there the last day. He will come on for that and he gets the seven furlongs well. He should have a good winter.

MOKHLES

3yo b g (5425)

Iffraaj - Luckbealadytonight

He has some nice form in England and was rated 75 when we bought him. He’s nearly ready to run and he looks a nice horse and I’d say we’ll start him off over a mile and a quarter. Long term, he’ll be a dual-purpose horse.

MUTADAAWEL

3yo b g (unraced)

Invincible Spirit - Elshabakiya

He is a very nice horse that we bought from Shadwell. He had a few little injuries which meant that he never made it to the track, but all seems good with him and I’d say it will be January/February time before we get him started. He looks a miler to me. He is just doing everything right at the moment and I have a lot of time for him.

PUSHAQ

5yo b g (5530310)

Roderic O’Connor - Et Dona Ferentes

Miss Rita Shah

He has developed into a good servant for us and there are more races to be won with him. He throws in the odd bad run but that is just him. A mile looks his trip and he races off a mark that he should be competitive off.

DENIS HOGAN

We are busy at the minute and we have a good few to run at Dundalk over the winter. The prize money is good and it’s a great outlet for those horses that might struggle a little bit during the summer against the better horses. I’m fairly sure there is a €25,000 race up there nearly every week and those races, I’d say, won’t be as competitive as they would be on the grass.

We have horses here that like a bit of decent ground and most of them seem to handle Dundalk and it’s great that we have it, the main drawback is the travelling – it’s a long way home at half nine at night, in bad weather. We need another one down here! We also have a few two-year-olds that were a bit backward that we’ll get going as well over the next few weeks.

AMANAAT

5yo b g (227245)

Exceed And Excel - Pietra Dura

James McAuley

He has developed into a very solid sprint handicapper and the plan was to run him last night. He is good over a straight five at Naas and Navan and he has been knocking on the door a few times this year. We’ll just have to see if he handles the surface, but if he does, he’ll race away up there for the winter.

DARK HONEY

3yo b g (65)

Epaulette - Manuka Magic

James McAuley

He has had just the two runs, both at Dundalk, but they were both promising and you’d hope that he might be competitive in handicaps over the winter.

KEROSIN

7yo b g (326524)

Tertullian - Karavel

James McAuley

I like this horse and I’d say a mile and a quarter is his trip. He has had just the one run for me and I rode him myself at Dundalk the last day to finish fourth. He has a high enough mark, but he’s a nice horse and while he has little margin for error off 90, I think he’ll be competitive off that. He likes the surface.

LAPILLI

5yo b g (000902)

Bahamian Bounty - Blue Lyric

James McAuley

He had a very nice run at Dundalk the last day behind Dash D’Or and he’ll be campaigned in sprint handicaps for the winter. He has dropped down to a decent mark (54) and he handled the surface well up there the last day, so it will be more of the same for him over the next few months.

WAJAAHA

3yo b c (3-222)

New Approach - Thaahira

Premier Racing Club

We bought him last month and he goes well. He is an 85-rated maiden that you’d imagine, should be competitive for us over the winter. He has settled in well and I like this lad. He was due to start for us last night and the aim is that we’ll keep him on the go up there over the winter.