Gearoid O’Loughlin

I’m originally from Clare and all over the southwest of the country, the Listowel Festival is a very big deal and for me to have a runner in the Kerry National is massive. We are all looking forward to it.

Ben Dundee

(/4275/5-0782)

He’ll go for the Kerry National. As long as there are no extremes, I think the ground will be fine for him. He failed to run to expectations in the Galway Plate, but he ran a cracker down there a couple of days later and he has been in great form since.

With his rating, he isn’t an easy horse to place but he is in great form and the Kerry National looks the logical race to go for. In fairness to him, he hadn’t run over fences for a while before he ran in the Galway Plate, but his run the last day was very good. He is fresh and well, and if he gets a bit of luck in running, and gets into a good rhythm, he should give a good account of himself. The flat three miles down there will be fine for him.

John Ryan

My horses are in great form, but we have a very good team at home and we go out very day to win. You must approach every race with that attitude, and it was great to have four winners the other day at Sligo. Days like that make all the hard work worthwhile. We’ll run plenty next week, and I love the place.

We’ve had great winners down there in the past like Kylecrue, who won four times at Listowel. Darycott Place loved the place and we’ve had lots of good horses win at Listowel. Hopefully the horses that we’ll run next week will represent us well, as it’s a part of the country which is very close to my heart.

Fairyhill Run

(P04-416211)

Waitnsee

(521-5P3270)

They will both hopefully both make the cut for the Kerry National. Listowel has been a very lucky track for me, and it would mean the world to me if ether could win the Kerry National.

Fairyhill Run is flying run at the minute, and both mares are both on track. Waitnsee would have gone very close in the Midlands National had her saddle not slipped, but these things do happen. She really comes into her own over three miles plus and she was very good when she won over hurdles at Cork.

When they go a real good gallop over three miles, that really suits her, and she has a lovely weight on her back.

Fairyhill Run is a lovely novice, and she will do well in those good novice chases over the winter, and she will have no trouble handling soft ground. She has gone up two stone in her last two runs and she is really thriving at the minute.

She was placed in a few bumpers but she was just a shade immature at four and she has filled out now and has looked very good this season.

She is progressive and she might still have a bit up her sleeve. Bryan Cooper loves her, and she is on a roll. The Kerry National is always a very good race – it always was – but hopefully they will go a good gallop in it. She stays well, and both of my horses must go there as big contenders.

The Little Yank

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Presenting Bonnie

(-F118911)

The Little Yank will go there as will Presenting Bonnie. She is a cracking mare, and she will go for the mares’ novice chase. We’ll decide a bit closer to the time what else we’ll run, but our horses are in great form, and we’ll bring a good team down.

We love training winners. Financially, training racehorses doesn’t make sense, but my family has been doing this for generations. We love our horses, and we mind them, and we try and get the best out of every one of them.

My horse have enjoyed a good season to date and we’ll have a few runners next week.

Union Park

(09390-U318)

He’ll go for the 7lb claimers’ handicap hurdle, and I just felt that Galway came a bit too soon after he won at Ballinrobe. He is in good shape, and I think Listowel will suit him and I’m very happy with him. There is a bit of rain about, but ideally, he’d like a bit of good ground. Granted he gets his conditions, I think he’ll run a good race.

Oscar Romero

(6024-1611)

He goes for the three-mile handicap hurdle on Wednesday and the handicapper gave him 11lbs for winning the last day, which I thought was a bit strong. Hopefully the handicapper is right as he’s in mighty form and he would appreciate good ground, so I hope the rain stays away for him. He is bouncing at home, but he’ll only run if it remains good. I think he’ll give a very good account of himself.

Think Positive

(9/000U-0583)

He was third on his first handicap chase a few weeks ago and there is an amateur riders’ handicap chase in the second half of the week that he’ll go for. He is in good shape and hopefully he’ll be competitive in a race like that. He has just taken a bit of time, but his last run was encouraging and he’s another who’d appreciate a bit of nice ground.

Wolfofallstreet

(13114/965)

He is adaptable ground-wise, and he will be entered up over hurdles and fences. I think he’ll run well in whatever race he goes for. He is in good order, and he ran well earlier in the year over fences at Ballinrobe.

He has disappointed a couple of times since, but I’ve been very happy with him and we’ll decide a bit closer to the time as to what race he’ll go for. I think he’ll run well down there.

It’s great to have the crowds back and I think it makes a difference to the horses. Some horses ‘get up’ for it – and they perform better. They can sense a bit of atmosphere in the parade ring and from the stands during a race, and some will raise their game because people are there.

Last year when we had no one racing, they may felt that it was just a normal galloping day. Listowel is a great track and we’ve had a bit of luck down there in the past and we have a few to run next week and they are in good shape.

Ballyoisin

(15/15612/1)

He was super at Ballinrobe, and he’ll go to Listowel tomorrow for the two-and-a-half-mile conditions chase. He came out of Ballinrobe in great nick.

He wouldn’t want it too soft, but he won a Fortria around Navan in November, so I think it’ll be fine for him. It is great to have him back and we have him where we want him.

Modus

(0/6/130-33)

He ran a cracker in the Galway Plate so the Kerry National was always going to be next on the agenda for him.

He has been training well and he has a nice weight, so I am looking forward to a good run from him again.