GALWAY opened with a familiar feel on Monday, the ground on the slow side for the flat, despite the July heatwave, and plenty of recognisable faces in the Connacht Hotel Handicap, the race drawing the last three winners.

Comfort Zone was not one of that group, but is becoming a staple at ‘The Races’, having his fourth run at the meeting and landing his first win here, while also providing Joseph O’Brien with a first success in the opening night feature.

The winner had been treading water in his three runs so far in 2026, but the reapplied cheekpieces sharpened him up, and he overcame a wide trip and a wonky head carriage to win, though the runner-up Holy See could be counted a little unlucky.

He got buffeted about in the early stages and was just behind Comfort Zone turning in, but that one got away on him and he met trouble in the straight before finishing strongly. Holy See is unexposed on the flat, though his mark means he will have to carry big weights in races like this.

A position in the first half of the field was important here, as the first four home were in the first 10 passing the winning post first time around, the fifth home Tounsivator deserving extra credit for coming from further back.

One of his stablemates, Too Bossy For Us, did not get home having raced keenly and briefly gone clear turning in, while Sirius showed a little finishing off in midfield. Held up in last, he met trouble in the straight and had missed his prep for this too, which was not ideal given he tends to need a run.

Orandi steps up

The Galway Mile winner Orandi was another with previous course form, improving on his third-place finish in the race last year having been granted some handicapping largesse in the meantime, dropped 8lb since.

This was a well-run race, the strong travelling pair Dunum and Lord Massusus taking them along and beaten a long way, all of those involved in the finish coming from off the pace to some degree.

Orandi raced down the rail and, after some shuffling leaving the dip, had eight rivals to pass turning in, but got the gap and quickened up sharply on the rail to win with a bit in hand.

Late ground

The runner-up Pierre Royal had every chance though might have preferred faster ground, while Jagged Edge made up a lot of ground late, making his challenge wider than any of the rest. Stephen Thorne has not done the numbers he did last flat turf season, but his runners continue to do well in valuable handicaps.

He will have chances in the Ahonoora on Sunday, the Mile the natural lead-in race for that seven-furlong premier handicap, with Gleneagle Bay perhaps his most obvious contender, having gone close in the race off a similar mark last year. He travelled nicely in midfield here before meeting traffic in the straight, which should set him up for the weekend.

Of the others, Ribee went well for a long way before weakening late into fifth, the run perhaps needed as he was having his first start in 104 days.

The eighth Kai Lung was a surprise entry for this race having been hurdling recently, but has a future on the flat judged on this evidence. He found the early pace a shock to the system, but kept on well in the straight to be nearest at the finish and should do better up in trip.

THE two Group 3 juvenile races at Leopardstown last Thursday looked a formality for Team Ballydoyle beforehand and, while they ultimately came home with both prizes, it was anything but plain sailing.

Alpha was sent off one of the shortest prices of the flat season at 1/6 in the Silver Flash, but only won by a head, things going wrong from the outset.

She was awkward from the stalls and initially raced in rear, the pacemaker Nevermindtherain setting a strong gallop, getting to the three furlong point 1.11 seconds ahead of the leader in the Tyros that followed.

Ryan Moore pressed his mount to mid-division in the early furlongs, but then had to make a move to cover the leader from three furlongs out, getting to the lead a furlong out - but had to work hard to get there and she was almost nabbed by a closer, her head carriage a touch awkward too.

Suspect form

She had a hard race here and might be vulnerable next time, while the form seems a little suspect too, the second and third rated 89 and 85 respectively, and the pacemaker finishing close for one that had set an overly-strong gallop.

Aix La Chapelle looked the leading Ballydoyle hope for the Tyros, but he was weak in the betting throughout the day and was never travelling well, coming off the bridle after halfway and only keeping on before hanging left in the finish, eventually demoted from third to fourth.

He looked uncomfortable on a Leopardstown track that was configured narrow, something that has been the case for much of the summer, and the tight setup seemed to suit his stablemate and winner Florida Bay, a sharper sort.

Suited better

Florida Bay broke sharply, got a break on the field and travelled nicely before going clear a furlong out and keeping on well. The seven furlongs here suited him better than the mile last time at Naas, where he appeared to get into a pace battle.

Both the Joseph O’Brien runners shaped better than the result, Folsom Blues left with a lot to do and just unable to close down the winner late, while Nail House travelled nicely, but couldn’t get a run in the straight, shaping like a drop to six furlongs might suit.

THERE was more British sprint success at Naas Wednesday last, Soul Love winning the Listed Yeomanstown Stud Stakes for Karl Burke, who is becoming the chief raiding trainer from Britain these days.

In the post-pandemic years (2021 onwards), Burke has had more runners in Ireland than any other British trainer with 52 and he has also had the most winners, with 10 at the time of writing, tied with William Haggas, who has done so from 41 runners.

The other British-based trainers with decent total winners in that period are Tim Easterby (five winners from 10 runners), Richard Fahey (four winners from 20 runners) and Ralph Beckett (four winners from 20 runners).

Soul Love was workmanlike in victory, but that is her style, and she is now four wins from six starts, three of them coming by less than a length. Her time was solid here, the fastest of the three six-furlong races on the card.

Surprise win

The other listed race on the card, the Marwell Stakes, went to Big Negotiator, something of a surprise as she bested her better-fancied stablemate, Concorde Landed.

The first-time visor seemed to spark the winner, and she came up the centre of the track on an evening when there was no bias at play, the runner-up Shimmering Sun a little unlucky in conceding first run.

Concorde Landed had been so impressive at this track on debut, the form working out too, but was reported very keen to post by Billy Lee and hit a ridge a furlong and a half down, which unbalanced her.