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'Hopefully we can compete at the next level' | Dermot McLoughlin

Irish Grand National winning trainer Dermot McLoughlin joined Friday Night Racing on Off The Ball...



'Hopefully we can compete at t...
Racing

'Hopefully we can compete at the next level' | Dermot McLoughlin

Irish Grand National winning trainer Dermot McLoughlin joined Friday Night Racing on Off The Ball to reflect on Freewheelin' Dylan's stunning victory.

The 150-1 shot shocked the field to land the big race at Fairyhouse on Easter Monday for the Ratoath based trainer.

McLoughlin described the days since the victory as "fairly hectic" as people have wanted to see the horse and to also congratulate him on the amazing achievement.

McLoughlin was asked what winning a race of the stature of the Irish Grand National could mean for the future of his yard.

"The ambition is obviously to progress," he explained.

"We always have a full house of stables. We have 40 stables and always have 40 horses but you would like to think a better class of horse might come.

"With the current climate though, you don’t know what’s going to happen or what is around the corner.

"We just keep going with what we have because we have some very nice horses."

Dermot McLoughlin

McLoughlin also touched on how the quality and standard of Irish racing means that every element of training has to be done absolutely right.

"It’s a seriously competitive environment and it’s probably only going to get harder and harder," he explained.

"The results in Cheltenham show that, every day you’re going out racing in Ireland, you are competing at a very, very high level.

"Any modern day horse needs to be trained to that very top level and everything has to be done 100% right. Everything has to be 100% right before you go racing nowadays because if it is not, you won’t be at the races full stop.      

"Hopefully though we can progress and compete at the next level, that’s what I would be hoping for anyway."

Related Reads:

'We Could walk him home!' | McLoughlin savours Freewheelin' Dylan's Grand National triumph

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Dermot MCLoughlin Fairyhouse Freewheelin Dylan Grand National Horse Racing Irish Grand National Racing Ratoath