My Racing Story: Killian McCarthy

Saturday at Gowran Park was the realisation of a very long term goal for me. After over 10 years of trying, over €40,000 raised for various charities, and a few sacrifices along the way, I managed to live the experience of what it is like to ride a winner on the track in leg two of the 2017 Corinthian Challenge. It didn’t disappoint.

In 2005 I led in a winner at the Cheltenham Festival – Dabiroun for Paul Nolan in the Fred Winter – and ever since then I just wanted to ride in a race and get that buzz and that Cheltenham Festival probably has a lot to answer for! 

Brendan Duke – My Racing Story

It is an absolute pleasure to train Warm The Voice for Jim and Jackie Bolger and we had another terrific day at Listowel on Monday. It’s a stark reality within the yard that this is a multi-talented, very high class colt that has loads of improvement left in him.

I thought it was an outstanding performance at Listowel, on ground he hated, to haul 9st7lbs around with some very shrewd trainers in the race and he took on all comers and saw them all off and he won without having too hard a race.

Gary Carroll – Blog

Jockey Gary Carroll talks about the season so far, Irish Champions Weekend and his time spent riding in Dubai.

How is the season going for you so far?

Things are going well thankfully. I’m getting lots of rides for different trainers, I’m after winning some nice races and my prize money is up so overall I’m happy. I’m hoping to break 30 winners this season so that’s a goal I have for myself. I didn’t ride a whole lot on the All Weather in Dundalk at the beginning of the year as the trainers I ride for don’t have many horses that go there.

Longines Irish Champions Weekend

A top-class weekend of flat racing is in store as Longines Irish Champions Weekend comes around again as the best of Ireland, England and France take each other on over two pulsating days of racing.

Churchill leads the way in the Irish Champion Stakes on Saturday and will be very hard to beat on the form of his two Guineas wins earlier this season. It was no disgrace to be beaten by Ulysses on his most recent start in the Juddmonte International at York – his first attempt at Saturday’s distance. Eminent looks the next best of the classic generation but for Tote punters perhaps Zhukova will be more appealing for a place. She won the KPMG on this card last year and the recent rain is very much in her favour.

My Racing Story: Brendan Sheridan

When I was still riding, a position to join the Turf Club was advertised and I took a chance in applying for the role and I was fortunate enough to get the job – that was 21 years ago – and this week I will officiate at Ireland’s most unique fixture at Laytown.

I am now Clerk Of The Course at eight racecourses in Ireland, one of which is Laytown, and as anyone can imagine it is very different to your normal race meeting but it’s very enjoyable. 

Win: Longines Irish Champions Weekend Tickets

**Competition Closed**

We’ve got a pair of tickets to give away to one of the premier weekends of racing on the calendar – Longines Irish Champions Weekend!

These tickets give you access to both Leopardstown on Saturday and the Curragh on Sunday!

To be in with a chance to win just enter here:

My Racing Story: Takashi Kodama

Surviving as a trainer is so hard in Ireland and it is very hard to win races but winning the Irish Cambridgeshire at the Curragh Racecourse was my best ever result as a trainer and I would say it is unbelievable. Our mission when running in the race was to finish in the first 10… that was my mission, so to win the race makes me very, very happy.

Elusive Time was so well this morning. After every race I let him out into the paddock and he was kicking and jumping and he nearly jumped out over the fence so he is very well and he is very different this year. I don’t know what has happened because nothing has changed for him but he just seems to be improving. 

Keith Andrews – Georgia v Rep. of Ireland Preview

It’s coming to crunch time in the group and the next week is going to be huge in terms of Ireland’s chances of qualification. At this stage of the group, we are in a great position. Three wins and three draws is a great return in a tough group. Saturday’s game against Georgia and Tuesday’s home game against Serbia are absolutely crucial and I think if we get a minimum of 4 points from the two games then we’re in a really strong position and will almost have one foot in the World Cup in Russia next Summer.

York Ebor

Irish winners have been hard to come by at this week’s big York Ebor Festival and Ivan Grozny is the sole Irish representative in Saturday’s big race. He hasn’t impressed too much this season over hurdles and will have to show much better form that last time when he was well back in the field when brought down in the Galway Hurdle. He needs huge respect though coming from these quarters.