ADO McGuinness has enjoyed a fine start to the campaign and it’s fair to say that his horses have done him proud right through the winter season in Dundalk.

He has a fine set up with access to the beach at Lusk and he maintains that the sea is great for horses after racing all year round. Despite all the negative comments about Dundalk, McGuinness trained plenty of winners up there over the winter, and not one of his horses were stiff or sore afterwards.

“We take them to the beach as much as possible. It is very close to the yard and it keeps the horses sweet. It’s great for a horse after a run. The ground has been quick enough nearly everywhere all season, but the day after they run, we bring the horses there and let them have an hour or so just walking around in the water and they love it,” McGuinness explains.

“It definitely helps them recover quicker and apart from anything else, it is a change of scenery for them and I have no doubt that it benefits them, both physically and mentally.

“We have our own sand gallop at home and we tend not to work the horses too often. It gets deep enough at times, so we do plenty of slow work at home and that way, once we have a handle on their ability, we can run them often. They won’t win anything at home and we have a nice straight here that we can let them swing up, but more times than not, we just keep them ticking over at home.”

Last Sunday at the Curragh was a good day for McGuinness, as Aussie Valentine won the premier handicap over a mile and the eight-year-old has now won €120,000 since he was bought for €12,000 at the sales.

“He’s a great horse for us and both he and Master Speaker are genuine premier handicap horses. They were both cheap horses that we bought and I suppose what put a lot of people off them at the time was their age. But we knew that we could keep them sweet and they love the sea and the beach and I have no doubt that has been one of the main reasons as to why both horses have held their form so well.

“Sunday was a very satisfying day for everyone, in particular Stephen Thorne, who plays a big role here and he has been instrumental when it comes to buying those horses at the sales.

“Stephen set up Shamrock Thoroughbreds and all the horses that have been bought for those syndicates have won. Stephen is great at finding these horses and to be able to get our hands on both Aussie Valentine and Master Speaker (for €12,000 and €11,000) is proof, that you don’t need to be spending fortunes to get your hands on good horses.

McGuinness continues: “They are worth their weight in gold to a yard like ours and they’ll run in all the big seven-furlong/mile premier handicaps this season and Galway is very much the plan for the pair of them.”

He also commented on the state of competition in Irish flat racing these days saying: “You rarely get an easy option over here. You might get lucky when the ground is fast and a race might cut up into a small field, but I have been at the game for a long time, and I have never known it as hard to win. There are no double meetings over here and you have take on some of the best trainers in the world, day in day out.”

The recent HRI Open Day was a big success and he sold a share in a two-year-old on the day with the possibility of more to follow. “It was brilliant. We had 100 people here and it was great to see so many kids here too. We sold the remaining share in a two-year-old that we bought at the breeze-up sale at Newmarket and we‘ve had a good few enquiries since that we are following up on,” McGuinness said.

“I thought the morning was a big success. It was a very relaxed morning and people brought their kids and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves, which was the main thing.”

He has a half a dozen two-year olds, he purchased a colt by Starspangledbanner at Newmarket recently, and stated: “Most of the two-year olds are back-end types but the Starspangledbanner horse will go to Naas next week for a barrier trial. We will take our time with them and they will tell me when they are ready. Dundalk is a great option for two-year-olds so we could end up going there.”

ANABELLE ROCK | 3yo ch f | Dandy Man - She’s A Queen | T Heatrick | Form: 41-51120

She is entered in the sales and she might run again beforehand. She has done well for us winning twice for her owner/breeder.

BEAU WARRIOR | 3yo b f | Declaration Of War - Sign From Heaven | Total Recall Racing Club | Form: 111-1169

She won five on the bounce for us at Dundalk and she’s a smart filly. She has an entry in the sales and she’ll take in a stakes race over six or seven beforehand. She loves fast ground and I have no doubt that there is more to come from her. Not many win five on the bounce in Ireland and she wasn’t beaten far in a listed race at Chelmsford. If she doesn’t make what we think that she’s worth, she won’t be sold and there is a rated race for her next week at Leopardstown and all going well, she’ll go there.

BEYOND DANCE | 4yo b f | Wootton Bassett - Juvenil Delinquent | First Dance Syndicate | Form: 09-06495

She has struggled a little bit but we like her and she has run a few decent races for us. She ran okay in a claimer at Gowran on Wednesday (fifth to Percy B Shelley) and will go for another one of them next week. There should be a day in her somewhere along the way.

CACHE QUEEN | 4yo b f | Kodiac - Cache Creek | Conor Hughes | Form: 500-9002

She came back to form when second at Leopardstown. She ran well at Galway last year and is another that will be aimed at the festival there at the end of July. There are more races to be won with her. (Due to run at Down Royal yesterday evening).

CHAPARRAL DREAM | 4yo b g | High Chapparal - Dream Time | D Daly | Form: 6-41133

He won a couple in Dundalk for us over the winter and he’ll mix it over hurdles and the flat during the summer. He is a grand horse, owned by Dan Daly, who is a great man to be involved with. Dan has been with me for a long time and I’d like to think that this horse will be competitive for him when taking on his own grade – he does stay very well. (Due to run at Down Royal yesterday evening).

DASH TO CELEBRATE | 3yo b f | Excelebration - Dash Back | Edward Battersby | Form: 507080-8

I think she’ll improve and she is a grand filly for those sprint handicaps during the year. You need luck in those races, but I’d be pretty sure that she’ll have her day. (Due to run at Down Royal yesterday evening).

HEE HAW | 5yo b g | Sleeping Indian - My American Beauty | Mark Devlin | Form: 1490783

He is a horse that will run away in sprint handicaps for the summer. He ran a big race to be third to Baby Power in a big field handicap at the Curragh last weekend. Five or six furlongs is fine for him and he should win in his own grade. (Due to run at Down Royal yesterday evening).

HIGHLY APPROVED | 4yo b f | Approve - High Society Girl | D Forde & Sean J Forde & Jarlath Brennan | Form: 9-00053

She ran very well at Gowran on Wednesday (third to Fit For Function in seven-furlong handicap) and there is a race for her at Roscommon next week. Seven or a mile suits her well and on the basis of that good run at Gowran, she’ll hopefully get her head in front for us.

JUNGLE JUNGLE | 3yo b g | Bungle Inthejungle - Blanche Dubois | James F Dunne | Form: 973-0558

He’ll go to Fairyhouse for a three-year-old only handicap and is another that I’d like to think will be competitive in handicaps this season.

KEN’S SAM’S | 6yo b m | Intense Focus - Hannah’s Smile | Thomas M Kelly | Form: 7239140

She has done well for us. Her owner is a big fan of Galway and the plan is to aim her at one of the handicaps over there. She has won twice since she came to us and has climbed up the ratings to 65 – she started off with us rated just 33. She might have to win again before Galway, but we’ll see how she is after her break.

MASTER SPEAKER | 9yo b g | Danehill Dancer - First Breeze | Shamrock Thoroughbreds | Form: 04503-936

Another great servant and he has won a lot of prize money since he came to us and he is another horse that we’ll bring to Galway. The seven-furlong handicap on the Sunday might be the race for him and I’d imagine that he’ll run away in those good handicaps between now and then. He takes his racing well and a stiff seven or a mile is fine for him. I’d be hopeful that there is a good day in him before the year is out.

NEYLAND | 4yo b f | Oasis Dream - Milford Sound | GBD Partnership | Form: 00697

She might wait for Ballinrobe and while she has a couple of entries over the weekend, she likes a bit of juice in the ground and Ballinrobe might suit her. She’ll be grand, once she gets an ease in the ground.

PIPER BOMB | 4yo bb f | Dandy Man - Distant Piper | We’re Back Syndicate | Form: 7000-480

She ran well from a poor draw earlier in the week at Gowran and on the basis of that effort, there should be a little race to be won with her during the summer. She’ll go to Roscommon next week.

ROYAL ADMIRAL | 5yo b g | Royal Applause - Royal Visit | Shamrock Thoroughbreds | Form: 234-32012

He wasn’t winning out of turn at Cork and he ran well again at Fairyhouse on Thursday in the apprentice handicap (second to Sleepy Head). He has been a very consistent horse, he likes fast ground and there should be another day or two in him.

SALTONSTALL | 5yo ch g | Pivotal - Macleya | Form: 000-0000

He has been a little disappointing, but I was very happy with how he hit the line in the good seven-furlong handicap (won by Jassaar) at the Curragh at the weekend. He wants a little ease in the ground and I have no doubt that there is a good day in him. He’ll go back to the Curragh for the mile handicap on Derby weekend and after that, he is another that will head to Galway for one of the big handicaps.

TACEEC | 4yo b g | Most Improved - Laemeen | Taceec Syndicate | Form: 410915

He wants a little bit of juice in the ground and he will more than likely head to Listowel on Sunday. He won well for us at Naas and there is another day or two in him. A mile is a good trip for him.

TY ROCK BRANDY | 4yo b f | Dandy Man - Britain’s Pride | T Heatrick | Form: 9063310

She is very fast so the likes of Down Royal and Tipperary are her tracks. She is an out and out five-furlong mare. She will hopefully win a couple of races for us during the summer. (Due to run at Down Royal yesterday evening).

AUSSIE VALENTINE / 8yo b g / Aussie Rules - Love Valentine /

Gary Devlin & Joseph McCrory / Form: 33058031

He has been a real star for us and he won well at the Curragh on Sunday. The lads that own him are keen to go to Galway with him and the plan is that he’ll go there for the big mile handicap on the Tuesday. He seems to handle any ground – he might have a preference for soft ground, but all his wins for me have been on good, fast ground. He was fourth at Galway last year and we’ll freshen him up beforehand and the older, more experienced handicappers have a great record in that mile race.