After the win at Punchestown, myself and Noel were having a celebratory drink in the owners’ bar. We just thought he might get six or seven pound after Punchestown, so we looked up what it would take to get in the bottom weights in the Plate. It was a dream to fulfil all summer.

The step up in trip was probably been more of a worry, but his pedigree said he’d stay. Galway is so up and down that it’s not until the bottom of the hill that you find out whether you’ll stay or not.

It was just unreal. It’s easy to say it after, but he looked like he was a winner everywhere. Jordan Gainford told Donagh Meyler coming down the hill “you’re going well” and Donagh said “I’m going too well- I’m going to get there too early.”

Phil (Polly) is a great fella. I kind of only got to know him in the last couple of years, and now he’s got six in training with Noel and one with Gordon, so he’s become an important owner.

We bought Monasterboice as a breezer. Noel said it only took him ten goes to find out that he needed him more than a mile! He was very good in Killarney, and he looked like going by the line that he needed the trip. Noel was actually very confident that he’d take beating the other day, that the penny’s only dropping with him now.

We’re at it four or five years now and Noel is a very good man to buy for, because once you buy him an athlete, he doesn’t really care about what they’re by. At the store sale last week, we bought a Sumbal horse for six grand- he doesn’t care what they cost.

We had a long night in Galway. We stayed there in the owners and trainers for a good while and ended up in town for dinner and had one or two drinks too many. I came home yesterday but Phil went back to his local in Downpatrick with the trophy. I think we might get together over the weekend or next week again.

(On Eric Lock in the 4.15 at Galway today) Noel thought plenty of him early-on and the ground was probably a bit soft for him earlier in the year. He has a right chance I’d say off his mark.

The filly to keep an eye on of Noel’s is Sugar Club, she looks to be very decent. She was placed in Leopardstown the first day and she won her maiden in Bellewstown, but we think she’s a good Graded filly. Noel thinks an awful lot of her, so she could be the next classy one, hopefully.