Tag Archive for: Punchestown

Sire Du Berlais and Teahupoo give Elliott strong Stayers hand

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Sire Du Berlais will go in search of a unique hat-trick at Punchestown when he lines up in the Ladbrokes Champion Stayers Hurdle on Thursday.

Gordon Elliott’s stable stalwart has already rolled back the years to strike in the Stayers’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival and then defend his Liverpool Hurdle crown. He will now bid for a third Grade One in the space of six weeks when he strides out at the Kildare track.

To do so he will have to go three places better than last year’s fourth, but the 11-year-old appears to be at the peak of his powers despite his advancing years and his trainer states he has bounced out of his trip to Aintree in rude health.

“Sire Du Berlais is a marvellous horse,” said the Cullentra House handler. “For him to be doing what he’s doing at the age of 11 is incredible. He’s an unbelievable campaigner. He came out of Aintree in good shape.”

Elliott is also represented by Teahupoo, who was third behind his stablemate at Prestbury Park and has enjoyed a fine campaign, winning both the Hatton’s Grace and Galmoy Hurdle.

“Teahupoo is coming here off Cheltenham where he ran really well,” he added.

“He’s established himself now, I think, as one of the best stayers around and you’d like to think, all things being equal, he’d be lining up with a leading chance.”

Teahupoo has enjoyed a fine season winning twice and placing at the Cheltenham Festival
Teahupoo has enjoyed a fine season winning twice and placing at the Cheltenham Festival (Niall Carson/PA)

Willie Mullins fires four darts at a race he has won five times in the last 10 years.

The master of Closutton has saddled Klassical Dream to win this the past two years and has identified the defending champion as his best chance of enhancing his fine race record.

“Klassical Dream is the one that can go back to Punchestown and win it,” said Mullins.

“We didn’t know whether we were going to make it or not to Cheltenham, but we thought his work was good enough. We took our chance. I think you’ll see the real Klassical Dream in Punchestown.”

Mullins is also represented by Asterion Forlonge and two-time Cheltenham Festival hero Monkfish – who fought out the finish of the Rathbarry & Glenview Studs Hurdle at Fairyhouse earlier this month – with Whatdeawant completing the quartet.

“It’s great to see Asterion Forlonge and Monkfish coming back,” continued Mullins.

“Those horses had long breaks and have little turnaround from Fairyhouse to Punchestown and that’s a big negative for me. If they ran a good race, I’d be very happy. Whatdeawant is probably just not good enough.”

Last year’s runner-up Ashdale Bob will attempt to go one better for Keith Donoghue and Jessica Harrington, with Oliver McKiernan’s Meet And Great and Henry de Bromhead’s Thurles scorer Summerville Boy completing the field.

Hewick heads to Sandown after bypassing Punchestown Gold Cup

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Hewick will sidestep the Ladbrokes Punchestown Gold Cup in favour of a return to Sandown on Saturday.

Shark Hanlon’s stable star won the bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown 12 months ago before going on to claim further big-race victories in the Galway Plate and the American Grand National.

Connections decided against a tilt at the Grand National at Aintree after the eight-year-old suffered a heavy fall two fences from home in the Cheltenham Gold Cup last month, instead electing to keep their powder dry for a late-April outing.

Hewick was declared to renew rivalry with the first and second from the Gold Cup in Galopin Des Champs and Bravemansgame at Punchestown, but Hanlon voiced concerns about conditions in County Kildare earlier this week and on Wednesday morning confirmed he will now instead head to Sandown.

“I walked the track (at Punchestown) this morning and the ground is very gluey,” said the trainer.

“I know the horse wants good ground and there’s no point pulling the tail end out of him for the whole year. If the ground was good I wouldn’t mind taking on Galopin Des Champs and Bravemansgame, but just on soft ground I don’t think I’d have any chance of beating them, so we’ll head to Sandown with him.”

Hewick will have to carry the welter burden of 12 stone if he is to bid for back-to-back wins in the bet365 Gold Cup – and while no final decision has been made, Hanlon admits the Grade Two bet365 Oaksey Chase on the same card may be a more attractive proposition.

John ‘Shark’ Hanlon with Hewick
John ‘Shark’ Hanlon with Hewick (Lorraine O’Sullivan/PA)

He added: “I have to talk to the owner about it, but we have to give away a lot of weight in the bet365 and the other race looks very winnable.

“I’ll see what the owner says. I spoke to him this morning and just said I thought we should take him out of Punchestown, he’s very good and lets me do what I think is right.

“He’s nearly a stone well-in with a lot of horses in the Grade Two, so we’ll see.”

Mullins kicks off Punchestown week with four-timer

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Willie Mullins once again made most of the headlines on the opening afternoon of the Punchestown Festival as the champion trainer kicked off the week with a four-timer.

The champion trainer invariably dominates the traditional end-of-season meeting and headed back to County Kildare with a formidable team for day one.

Mullins was out of luck in the curtain-raising Howden Insurance Brokers Mares Novice Hurdle, with Shecouldbeanything justifying 7-2 favouritism for Gordon Elliott, but was soon off the mark as Facile Vega (4-6) readily saw off stablemate Il Etait Temps in the KPMG Champion Novice Hurdle.

Bialystok (14-1) then led home a Mullins one-two-three in the Killashee Hotel Handicap Hurdle before Energumene (2-7) lifted the William Hill Champion Chase, followed home by three other Mullins runners.

Energumene was the star of the show on day one of the Punchestown Festival
Energumene was the star of the show on day one of the Punchestown Festival (Niall Carson/PA)

The onslaught continued in the Goffs Defender Bumper, with Patrick Mullins steering the previously-unraced Predators Gold (4-1) to victory and Milo Lises, another Mullins-trained newcomer, filling the runner-up spot just for good measure.

The 66-year-old did, however, suffer a surprise reverse in the Dooley Insurance Group Champion Novice Chase, with his nephew Emmet Mullins securing his first Grade One success through Feronily.

Mullins was not represented in the following cross-country race, while in the concluding Oak Lodge Landscapes Flat Race his runner Ninth Loch finished only fourth.

There is every chance of further success for the all-conquering team on Wednesday, with Cheltenham Gold Cup hero Galopin Des Champs, who bids to follow up in the Ladbrokes Punchestown Gold Cup, and Irish Daily Mirror Novice Hurdle favourite Gaelic Warrior leading the Closutton squad into battle.

Emmet Mullins denies Willie Mullins a Grade One treble at Punchestown

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Emmet Mullins dealt his uncle Willie a rare reverse on the opening day of the Punchestown Festival, as Feronily refused to bend in the Dooley Insurance Group Champion Novice Chase.

The champion trainer had saddled four of the first five winners on the card, with a couple of one-twos, a one-two-three and a one-two-three-four thrown in for good measure.

Having won the first two Grade Ones of the afternoon with Facile Vega and Energumene, the master of Closutton saddled four of the six runners in a bid to bag another top-level prize – but was ultimately beaten by his nephew and neighbour.

With Henry de Bromhead’s 9-4 favourite Journey With Me falling in the back straight, it was just a question of which Mullins would win before the home turn, with 7-1 shot Feronily leading the way under a bold ride from Donagh Meyler.

Appreciate It – looking to give Paul Townend a Grade One treble on the card – emerged as the biggest threat between the final two fences, but Feronily was not for catching and stuck to his task gamely on the run-in to score by a length and three-quarters.

James Du Berlais and Classic Getaway finished third and fourth, while Sir Gerhard was pulled up.

While Emmet Mullins is no stranger to big-race success, having most notably saddled Noble Yeats to win last year’s Grand National at Aintree, Feronily was giving him his first Grade One winner.

He said: “We bought him last November as a five-year-old and people said he was too old. We’ve run him in bumpers, hurdles and chases and he’s won a Grade One and now he’s a young horse again. It’s funny how the wheel turns sometimes.

Donagh Meyler and Feronily after winning at Punchestown
Donagh Meyler and Feronily after winning at Punchestown (Niall Carson/PA)

“He’s progressing with each run and is an exciting horse to have. He’s such a good jumper and what I saw in the point-to-point field was the reason we bought him. Jumping is his forte and we weren’t going to waste time.

“I don’t know where we go from here, but he’s definitely a staying chaser.”

Meyler was also enjoying his first Grade One victory.

He said: “I just can’t believe it to be honest with you, it’s kind of been a monkey on the back for a long time now. I’m over the moon.

“He’s had an unusual prep, but you’d be a foolish man second-guessing Emmet Mullins!”

“He’s a fantastic horse, well bought, and it’s great to ride a Grade One winner for Emmet and Paul Byrne (owner) as well.”

Energumene holds off Chacun Pour Soi in Punchestown thriller

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Chacun Pour Soi made his younger stablemate Energumene pull out all the stops in a thrilling renewal of the William Hill Champion Chase at Punchestown.

Having successfully defended his crown in the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham last month, Energumene was the 2-7 favourite to also make it back-to-back wins in this two-mile Grade One.

Chacun Pour Soi, who won the race in 2021, is now very much in the twilight of his career at the age of 11 and recent efforts over a variety of trips had suggested his best days were behind him.

But the veteran proved there is life in him yet with a spirited display before eventually giving best on the run-in.

Trainer Willie Mullins fielded four of the five runners in all and the race was his for the taking after Henry de Bromhead’s front-running mare Magic Daze gave way long before the home turn.

Energumene, who had not entirely convinced in the jumping department, travelled smoothly into the straight under Paul Townend, but so did Chacun Pour Soi in the hands of Danny Mullins and the older horse had poked his nose by the time both horses landed after jumping the final fence.

Energumene, though, dug deep when he needed to, getting up in the closing stages to prevail by three-quarters of a length.

Mullins said: “He normally wins his races with class, but today he had to get down and fight it out. He answered every call from Paul and showed his grit.

Paul Townend celebrates winning the William Hill Champion Chase with Energumene
Paul Townend celebrates winning the William Hill Champion Chase with Energumene (Niall Carson/PA)

“Paul really pulled that race out of the fire and that’s the difference between a good jockey and a great jockey.

“You can see probably the end of the season getting to him. Paul said he wasn’t as sharp as his last run at Cheltenham and he missed two fences, which isn’t like him.

“I was delighted with Chacun Pour Soi. We had been trying different distances and it wasn’t working so we said today we’d come back to two miles. We’ll see what we do with him now and have a word with Rich (Ricci, owner).”

Townend added: “I know how good Chacun can be around here, so when he appeared I was worried. I thought it was going to come to the jump at the last and Danny seemed to get away from it a bit better than me.

“Chacun’s last furlong has always kind of been his slowest, though, so I had confidence in this lad getting him once Danny hadn’t gone on me.”

Facile Vega back in front – and chasing beckons next season

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Willie Mullins is excited to see what Facile Vega can achieve over fences next season after surviving a scare to get back on the winning trail in the KPMG Champion Novice Hurdle at Punchestown.

The six-year-old had plenty live up to from day one as a son of the great racemare Quevega, who won six times at Punchestown to go with her six victories in the Mares’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

Facile Vega has largely upheld family honour, winning four bumpers and his first two starts over hurdles, but lost his unbeaten record when well held at Leopardstown in February and was ultimately no match for Marine Nationale when favourite to bounce back in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle last month.

Despite those successive defeats, the Walk In The Park gelding was unsurprisingly short odds to end his season on a high back on home soil at 4-6 – and while a mistake three flights from home would have have had his supporters sweating, Paul Townend’s mount soon came back on the bridle and coasted clear in the straight.

Facile Vega’s stablemate Il Etait Temps was seven and a half lengths adrift in second at the line, while another Mullins runner, Diverge – third in the Supreme – weakened tamely after making much of the running and finished a tailed off last of five.

Mullins said: “I’ve always thought the world of him, he has huge ability and I’m looking forward to him going over fences next year.

“Paul thinks he doesn’t have much respect for hurdles and he could always do that type of thing even schooling at home. He thinks he’ll have far more respect for fences.

“I said to Paul to be very positive on him because he has a huge, long stride. He gallops and is able to quicken off that.

Facile Vega returns to the Punchestown winner's enclosure
Facile Vega returns to the Punchestown winner’s enclosure (Niall Carson/PA)

“His pedigree would suggest he can go out to three miles any day of the week and I know he has enough pace to go two miles so we will let the horse tell us as he learns the game in the autumn.”

Townend said: “We got a bit of a fright at the third-last, but he lengthened well down the straight for me again.

“We got it right today and he showed the true horse.”

Galopin Des Champs poised for famous Cheltenham-Punchestown double

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Side by side jumping the last in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, Galopin Des Champs will attempt to again conquer Bravemansgame in a mouthwatering renewal of the Ladbrokes Punchestown Gold Cup on Wednesday.

Willie Mullins’ star chaser has a chance to emulate Kicking King (2005), War Of Attrition (2006) and Sizing John (2017) as the most recent to record the Cheltenham-Punchestown double.

The seven-year-old justified favouritism under Paul Townend by giving Bravemansgame a seven-length beating in jump racing’s most prestigious event, answering any stamina doubts some – but not his trainer – may have had.

Officially rated the best National Hunt horse in training, Mullins will bid for a seventh triumph in the three-mile Grade One feature.

“He’s in great shape. We’re aiming for Punchestown since Cheltenham,” said Mullins.

“I didn’t have any worry about his stamina until about four furlongs out (at Cheltenham) when I said, ‘Right, now’ when what I was convinced about was going to happen or not.

“I just took his novice hurdle form to mean he would stay three-and-a-quarter miles easily as an older horse.

“I didn’t have any fear about him staying all year. I was surprised myself how much doubt crept in as they rounded the top of the hill.

“But Paul seemed to be going well at all stages. The only little blip was at the third-last where he brushed the top but the minute he did that, Paul just pulled him together, got him in behind the others, gave him just a little bit of time to recover. You could see Paul’s body language telling you, ‘This fella’s got plenty in the tank.’”

The Audrey Turley-owned Galopin Des Champs has won six of his seven starts over fences and has won both starts at Punchestown, taking the Grade One novice hurdle in 2021 and the John Durkan Memorial over two and a half miles in December.

The Irish Gold Cup winner locks horns with King George VI Chase winner Bravemansgame over three miles, with Paul Nicholls relieved the horse’s ownership issues have finally been sorted, with Bryan Drew now the sole owner of the eight-year-old, having previously been co-owner with John Dance.

The latter founded Vertem Asset Management, a prominent sponsor within racing, but that firm is one of three trading names of WealthTek LLP, which was ordered to cease trading by the Financial Conduct Authority due to “serious regulatory and operational issues coming to light”.

Bravemansgame was subsequently prevented via a court order from running at Aintree but thanks to an early Easter, Nicholls feels the additional time between Cheltenham and Punchestown will help as the trainer bids for a fourth victory in the race.

“It’s brilliant that he has been cleared to run at Punchestown after issues beyond our control led to him missing Aintree,” Nicholls reported on his Betfair blog.

“The extra 12 days since Cheltenham can only be a positive for Bravemansgame, who ran the race of his life against Galopin de Champs in the Gold Cup and I’m really looking forward to taking him on again.

“He’s in great order at home, schooled beautifully ridden by Harry Cobden on Monday morning, and our horses could hardly be in better form. So I’m expecting another big show.”

Allaho took the laurels in last year’s renewal for Cheveley Park and the stud’s managing director Chris Richardson hopes that Envoi Allen can complete another fine season which has produced two Grade One victories from three starts.

Rachael Blackmore and Envoi Allen bid to follow up their Ryanair Chase success
Rachael Blackmore and Envoi Allen bid to follow up their Ryanair Chase success (David Davies/PA)

The Henry de Bromhead-trained nine-year-old plundered the Ladbrokes Champion Chase at Down Royal on his seasonal debut and after a tame run in the King George, bounced back in fine style under regular partner Rachael Blackmore to beat Shishkin in the Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham.

Richardson said: “He goes to Punchestown in good order. It was wonderful to see him perform as he did at Cheltenham.

“I wasn’t really surprised that he bounced back, because he had been working well at home and so much better this year than he had. He was much more settled and relaxed in himself. Henry and Rachael were just thrilled. He was in such a good place.

“We went to Kempton thinking he was in a happy place, but he was just never going and that obviously was a huge surprise, really.

“There was no real explanation afterwards. It was one of those days and we just put it down to an off-day and hopefully he’d put that behind him – which he did so famously.

“He likes Punchestown, but we’ve probably had our luck last year with Allaho.”

On-fire Sire bidding for festival hat-trick at Punchestown

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Sire Du Berlais will aim to complete a famous treble when he runs in the Ladbrokes Champion Stayers Hurdle at Punchestown on Thursday.

Gordon Elliott’s evergreen 11-year-old has already won at Cheltenham and Aintree this season and despite his age appears to be in the form of his life.

Elliott has a strong second-string to his bow in the nine-runner field with Teahupoo, who was third to his stablemate at Prestbury Park last month.

Willie Mullins’ team of four is headed by two-time winner and defending champion Klassical Dream, with Asterion Forlonge, Whatdeawant and Monkfish also representing the Closutton handler.

The latter returned from over 700 days off the track with a fine effort when narrowly beaten by Asterion Forlonge at Fairyhouse earlier this month.

Ashdale Bob, Meet And Greet and Summerville Boy complete the field.

The other Grade One on the card is the Barberstown Castle Novice Chase where only four go to post, three trained by Mullins.

Arkle winner El Fabiolo is the champion trainer’s first string after he inflicted a first defeat on Jonbon over fences at Cheltenham.

Saint Roi, who finished third in the Arkle and second at Aintree to Banbridge, as well as Dysart Dynamo, who led the Arkle field until falling at the second last, also represent Mullins.

El Fabiolo was very impressive in the Arkle
El Fabiolo was very impressive in the Arkle (David Davies/PA)

The Mouse Morris-trained Indiana Jones completes the quartet.

There is some UK interest elsewhere on the card. Lucinda Russell sends Douglas Talking over for the Pigsback.com Handicap Chase after his near-miss at Aintree.

While in the  Conway Piling Handicap Hurdle Nicky Henderson runs Walking On Air, Anthony Honeyball is represented by Kilbeg King and Christian Williams runs Lord Snootie. Honeyball also runs Lilith in the  Close Brothers Irish EBF Mares Handicap Chase.

Mullins backing Facile Vega to make amends

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Willie Mullins is confident Facile Vega can prove he has more than enough speed for two miles in the KPMG Champion Novice Hurdle at Punchestown on Tuesday.

A son of Walk In The Park out of the brilliant racemare Quevega, the six-year-old has always been held in the highest esteem by the champion trainer and has largely lived up to his reputation on the track.

He was unbeaten in four bumpers, including Grade One wins at the Cheltenham and Punchestown Festivals, and won his first starts over hurdles at Fairyhouse and Leopardstown.

But Facile Vega blotted his copyback when last of five finishers at the Dublin Racing Festival in February, a defeat Mullins put down to poor tactics, and while he was strongly fancied to bounce back to winning ways in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle last month he proved no match for Marine Nationale.

The latter defeat in particular, and the fact Quevega did most of her winning over long distances including four successive victories in the Champion Stayers Hurdle at Punchestown over three miles, has led some to question whether Facile Vega is now in need of a more searching test of stamina.

Mullins, though, has no fears about running his charge over the minimum trip.

“I’m not too worried about Facile Vega over two miles,” said the Closutton handler.

“I always thought Quevega had plenty of speed to win over two miles and I think she did earlier in her career in Punchestown, but we always went down the longer road with her because we had Hurricane Fly and Annie Power around that time.

“This fellow has plenty of speed. We saw that in Cheltenham, he was so fast down between the third-last and the second-last. He’s not short of speed. It’s just using it and it was just the way the race worked out in Cheltenham.”

Gordon Elliott has high hopes for Found A Fifty
Gordon Elliott has high hopes for Found A Fifty (Mike Egerton/PA)

Facile Vega is taken on by four rivals, including two stablemates in Diverge and Il Etait Temps, both of whom were not too far behind the hot favourite when third and fifth in the Supreme.

The field is completed by Oliver McKiernan’s outsider No Looking Back and and the Gordon Elliott-trained Found A Fifty, who failed to run up to expectations at Aintree less than a fortnight ago.

Elliott said: “Things just didn’t work out for Found A Fifty at Aintree. He’s a very talented animal and we didn’t see the best of him there and he’s one to be very excited about for the coming seasons.”

Mullins is also well represented in the Dooley Insurance Group Champion Novice Chase, fielding four of the six runners for a Grade One contest run over an extended three miles.

Appreciate It returns to the Naas winner's enclosure
Appreciate It returns to the Naas winner’s enclosure (Gary Carson/PA)

Stable jockey Paul Townend has seemingly sided with Appreciate It over the Cheveley Park Stud-owned pair of Classic Getaway (Danny Mullins) and Sir Gerhard (Patrick Mullins), while Daryl Jacob partners James Du Berlais for his retaining owners Simon Munir and Isaac Souede.

Appreciate It has been beaten in Grade Ones at Leopardstown, Cheltenham and Fairyhouse since the turn of the year and Mullins appears more hopeful than confident that a hike in distance will do the trick.

He said: “Appreciate It disappointed me a little bit in Fairyhouse. It might be too much coming back again (16 days later), but we’ve nothing left to lose and we’ll just let him take his chance.

Sir Gerhard is a dual Cheltenham Festival winner
Sir Gerhard is a dual Cheltenham Festival winner (Mike Egerton/PA)

“He’s a fair sort, I think, on his day. You’d have thought going up to two and a half miles should be enough for him. Sometimes horses lose their form and he might be one of those. Maybe he wants a trip, but he won’t be going there fresh.

“It’s going to be a tough race. He’s one of the higher-rated horses in it, but a lot will depend on what he does.”

Sir Gerhard was just over four lengths in front of Appreciate It when second in the same WilllowWarm Gold Cup on Easter Sunday, while Classic Getaway has been off the track since making a successful chasing debut at at Gowran Park in November.

Naas Grade Three winner Journey With Me is a major contender for Henry de Bromhead, while Feronily also merits respect for Emmet Mullins.

Energumene looking to double up at Punchestown

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Energumene bids to cement his status as the king of the two-mile division over fences by securing back-to-back victories in the William Hill Champion Chase on the opening day of the Punchestown Festival.

The nine-year-old provided Willie Mullins with a first victory in the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham last season before putting the seal on his campaign with a facile success in County Kildare.

He suffered a blip earlier this term when only third in the rescheduled Clarence House Chase at Cheltenham in January, but raised his game significantly with a dominant defence of his Champion Chase crown last month and is short odds to repeat the feat on Tuesday.

Mullins said: “I was particularly pleased how Energumene did it in Cheltenham. He’d been working like that at home.

“We were all a little disappointed when he disappointed in the rescheduled Clarence House Chase, but I think we learned so much that day which meant he was a very good winner of the Champion Chase.

“The white fences might have upset him in the Clarence House and we sharpened up tactics. I think he’s a fair sort to do what he did two years running and in the manner he did it in Cheltenham.

“Those (soft) conditions are very helpful to him as well. He probably won’t get those in Punchestown – but if he does get wet weather, he’s going to be very difficult to beat with a clear round.”

Gentleman De Mee on his way to winning at Leopardstown
Gentleman De Mee on his way to winning at Leopardstown (Lorraine O’Sullivan/PA)

Energumene’s rivals include a trio of stablemates in Chacun Pour Soi, Blue Lord and Gentleman De Mee.

Chacun Pour Soi won this race in 2021, but is past his best judged on recent results, while Blue Lord needs to bounce back from a below-par performance in the Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham.

Gentleman De Mee, on the other hand, missed the Festival in the Cotswolds and therefore lines up fresh from winning the Dublin Chase at Leopardstown in early February.

“We have Gentleman De Mee in the race and he won’t be hanging around at the start. That’s his nature and Energumene can follow away. Paul (Townend) has the confidence to do both,” Mullins added.

Henry de Bromhead’s mare Magic Daze and the Patrick Foley-trained Rebel Gold complete the field.

Rebel Gold at Naas
Rebel Gold at Naas (Gary Carson/PA)

The latter will be a big outsider, despite winning a valuable handicap chase at Fairyhouse and a Grade Three at Naas this season, and Foley has no great expectations.

He said: “The original plan was to go to Fairyhouse for the Grade Two, but we just got a bit of a setback. After he won in Naas, Denis (O’Regan, jockey) said it’d be no harm to give him an entry in some of the good races as they can cut up a little bit, so maybe it’s all for luck.

“The most realistic goal is probably to finish fourth, but even if he finishes sixth of the six, you’re picking up prize money and on ratings, we are the lowest rated horse in it.

“If he’d had a proper clear run, I’d be going there hoping to beat one or two of them but we’re not going to be in any way disappointed wherever he finishes.

“If he puts in a decent run we’ll all be very, very happy.”