ANDY LYNCH

ZABANA

6yo ch g (311015-0312)

Halling - Gandia

He ran a blinder considering he met the winner 11lbs wrong. He missed the third last which didn’t help him, but we were delighted with him. There is a nice race for him at Punchestown on the Saturday over two and a half miles and he’ll more than likely go there. He is a horse with plenty of speed but he does stay and you need both to be able to compete at Cheltenham. He will make into a lovely chaser down the road but we’ll see how Punchestown goes first. He has the option of running there on the Thursday as well, so we’ll have a look at both races and speak to Chris (Jones). We gave him a week off after Cheltenham and he’ll go back cantering next week.

MATTHEW SMITH

RAWNAQ

8yo b g (/21173-031413)

Azamour - Sharemata

We were delighted with him and I suppose he would have finished closer had he not missed the last. I am not saying that he’d have won, but he would have finished closer. He has been very well since and we’ll see how he is next week, but there are a couple of handicaps for him at Aintree and more than likely, that is where he’ll go. We didn’t put him in the Ryanair at Fairyhouse and I suppose it would make sense to keep him to handicaps for the moment. We might keep him on the go for the summer.

EDDIE HARTY

SORT IT OUT

6yo b/br g (7451P-00112)

Milan - Snowbelle

He came out of the race very well and I suppose it was unfortunate that he bumped into one of Willie’s on the day. Take him out and my horse would have been a good winner. I haven’t spoken to Frank [Berry] about it yet, but I’d say that it is unlikely that he’ll run again before Punchestown and the two and a half mile handicap on the Saturday looks an option for him. He took everything well and hopefully there is more to come from him.

PAUL NOLAN

NOBLE PRINCE

11yo b g (/541072-P84118)

Montjeu - Noble Pearl

When Gerry bought him, the plan was that he would win an open and he has won two of them and I thought he ran very well at Cheltenham. The plan was to drop him out and he came home very well. After the race, I have never seen a man as happy as Gerry was and he got a great kick out of it. He has been fine since and there is every chance that we’ll find a hunter chase for him somewhere before the end of the season.

SHAY BARRY

BENTELIMAR

6yo ch g (5041-1130119)

Beneficial - Montel Girl

We sent him over the Friday before Cheltenham and to be honest he didn’t eat or drink that much over there and we took a chance on running him. We thought he’d run better but he ran out of steam in the second half of the race. He has been fine since and he is out in the field at the minute and we might aim him at something at Punchestown. If he didn’t make that, we’ll freshen him up and aim at the Galway Hurdle. He likes that good ground and that is what we are thinking of at the minute.

GORDON ELLIOTT

CLARCAM

5yo b g (1322F24-121128)

Califet - Rose Beryl

He ran very flat and Bryan was never happy with him at any stage. He is in a few races and I’d say it is more than likely that he’ll go to Punchestown for one of the good novice chases there. He seems fine now, but we’ll give him a chance and see how he is next week. He is in the Ryanair Gold Cup at Fairyhouse but I would doubt if he’ll go there.

JETSTREAM JACK

5yo b g (FP-110)

Beneficial - Westgrove Berry

We were a bit disappointed with him and maybe the occasion got to him a bit and he was a bit keen as well, but he is better than that run and he’ll have a good break now and he won’t run again this season. He should make into a good horse over hurdles.

GENERAL PRINCIPLE

6yo b g (110)

Gold Well - How Provincial

He never really got into the bumper but he is only a young horse and we will leave him off now and bring him back for a hurdle campaign next season.

TAGLIETELLE

6yo b g (0551-211144)

Tagula - Averami

He came home very well to finish fourth in the Coral Cup and he has come out of that race very well. He stays further so he’ll go for a three mile handicap hurdle at Aintree on the Thursday. He has been a very consistent horse for us and he finished out his race very well at Cheltenham and he was unlucky not to be bang there.

DON COSSACK

8yo br g (/1F23/1212F2-411113)

Sholokhov - Depeche Toi

He was very unlucky in the Ryanair. He missed a fence down the back and then he was the meat in a sandwich at the second last. The winner was gone at that stage and with a clear run he would have finished closer. I am not saying that he’d have won, but he came home very well. He’ll go to Aintree and he has options over two and a half and three miles.

BLESS THE WINGS

10yo b g (64P06-P43324142)

Winged Love - Silva Venture

He ran a cracker and was another that was a bit unlucky. He finished out his race very well and he jumped great. He’ll go to Aintree and he’ll more than likely run in the Topham. There is a good race in this lad.

NO MORE HEROES

6yo br g (6F1/411-1153)

Presenting - What A Breeze

He will go to Punchestown more than likely for the three-mile novice hurdle. It was unfortunate what happened to him before the last and if he got a clear run, he would have gone very close, but that’s racing. He has been fine since and we will freshen him up now and he has come out his race in good form. He was tired and three miles there on Friday was a real slog for those young horses.

NOBLE ENDEAVOR

6yo b g (01416-2212)

Flemensfirth - Old Moon

I am not sure where he’ll go. He ran a very good race and in fairness to Kevin [Sexton], I told him to be upsides at the last and he did exactly what he was told. If we had a bit of luck, we could have had three or four winners at Cheltenham. He has come out of the race very well and he has a few options and I’ll have a word with Chris [Jones] and see where he wants to go with him. He ran a very good race and there is a big race to be won with him.

NOEL MEADE

ROAD TO RICHES

8yo b g (1186/13P41-212113)

Gamut - Bellora

I was happy that he ran very well, but you’d be a bit disappointed at the same time. You go into those good races hoping that you’ll win them and while you are delighted when they run so well, at the same time you are disappointed when they don’t win. It was a hell of a race and the winner is a very good horse, but it was a hard race and they went a hell of a gallop. He lost a good bit of weight - they were hard at it for a long time. From the top of the hill they were flat out and it was hard going. Any one of the first four will remember it for a while. We’ll see how he is and we’ll aim him at the Gold Cup at Punchestown and there is a good bit of time between Cheltenham and Punchestown.

APACHE STRONGHOLD

7yo b g (133/114-212212)

Milan - First Battle

I will try and get him to Fairyhouse for the Ryanair Gold Cup. He ran very well and he has come home well and I’d love him to go Fairyhouse and my hope is that he’ll go there. We’ll just have to wait and see how he is closer to the time. If Vautour went there we wouldn’t go, but if he didn’t go, he will take on the rest of them.

VERY WOOD

6yo b g (/12531-61PP10)

Martaline - Ball Of Wood

He didn’t work well going to Cheltenham and we put it down to him being lazy, but that wasn’t the reason why he ran the way he did - he ran like he had worked and he didn’t run at all really. He got very tired and he came in blowing very hard so there is obviously some little thing amiss with him. Hopefully we’ll be able to find out what it is. We hope that we’ll get him out again this season.

WOUNDED WARRIOR

6yo b g (/31144-F221313)

Shantou - Sparkling Sword

He was good and we probably should have run him in the four-miler. I am not saying that he’d have beaten Cause Of Causes, but you’d have to think the way he ran in the other race, that he’d have had a great chance in it. He has the option of the Irish National - whether that will come too soon for him I don’t know. He also has the option of Punchestown but none of them will travel to Aintree. He had a hard enough race at Cheltenham so we’ll just have to wait and see how he is.

MONKSLAND

8yo b g (1113/121/320)

Beneficial - Cush Jewel

He came back in slightly lame. He is home okay but he was gone early and he stopped very quickly. We’ll just have to see how he is before we decide whether he’ll run again this season.

SNOW FALCON

5yo b g (-2122215)

Presenting - Flocon De Neige

He wasn’t beaten that far and I thought he ran a hell of a race and I’d love to run him over three miles. We will try and get him to Punchestown for the Grade 1 novice over three miles