FINE weather, great atmosphere, brilliant racing. Day one had everything and we made a nice few quid as well.

My pitch is on the front line. Turnover was so good for the first race that we thought it was going to be a record day. It didn’t turn out like that but there was plenty of money around.

We were in front from the start thanks to Labaik. This is a horse I know all about. Some of the owners are regulars at Shelbourne Park, where I also bet, and they have been telling me for a long time how good he is, so I kept him on my side.

Melon would have been a bad result for me. I know his owner well too, Joe Donnelly, and I knew the horse was well fancied. I couldn’t keep my clients off him all morning. He must be a very good horse as he was eight lengths clear of the third home.

We bet without the favourite, Altior, in the Arkle. Charbel would have been a loser for us but he fell at the second last and Cloudy Dream finishing second was a good result.

The handicap chase saw support for a good spread of horses. Usually in races like this I would have the first four in the betting as small losers and the rest as winners. If the photo-finish had gone in favour of Singlefarmpayment we would have lost but Un Temps Pour Tout winning saw us break even.

Only two horses were losers for us in the Champion Hurdle – Yanworth and Buveur D’Air. I had also laid Brain Power in Naas on Sunday. The winner was a very steady 5/1 shot. We lost a bit but we stayed in front overall.

Apple’s Jade was a good result too. I had laid Vroum Vroum Mag at a short price last Sunday before Ruby deserted her. Then I laid Limini as low as 6/4, so the odds were in my favour. As the three mares jumped the last, I really wanted Apple’s Jade to win and she didn’t let me down. I would say most bookies won on that race.

In the four-mile chase the best-backed horses with me were Champers On Ice and Beware The Bear. Both of them were in trouble from early on. Returned at 16/1 Tiger Roll was a good result.

We went 7/1 the field in the last race and we saw some each-way action for Powersbomb, who was fourth at 22/1. Again, I had the first four in the betting as losers in my book. At the off we were going 10/1 Tully East (returned 8/1) and we won a little bit.