Colm Quinn BMW Mile Handicap

ALMOST 20 years on from his biggest career success in a past life as a National Hunt jockey, Robbie Colgan ruled supreme in one of the Galway Festival’s biggest flat handicaps aboard Orandi - adding another feather to the cap of Ballybrit supremo Tony Martin.

The multiple Galway Hurdle-winning trainer was the provider of Colgan’s greatest victory over jumps with Royal County Star in the 2007 Troytown Chase and this proved a plan well executed by connections to take out Tuesday’s €110,000 Colm Quinn BMW Mile.

It didn’t always look entirely smooth sailing for last year’s Irish Lincoln winner, who got within a nose and a neck of pulling off a major double in the Lincoln at Doncaster later that month. He had to wait for racing room on the turn for home, but it turned out that he had ample time to get into daylight. C.J. Murtagh and Bertie Hourihane’s big handicap regular burst through to beat the in-form Pierre Royal by a length and three quarters.

There hadn’t been many fireworks from the 16/1 shot since finishing third in this race 12 months ago and he proved a well-handicapped horse off 8lb lower this year.

Colgan, still riding with his customary poise into his mid 40s, clearly savoured the moment in the immediate aftermath.

“I had 15 or 20 different instructions and I don’t think I carried out one of them!” he quipped.

“I was happy once I got to the rail and was following the pace. Going down the hill, I wasn’t so confident, but as soon as I turned and met the rising ground, it was just a matter of weaving my way through. I got stopped in the dip for a stride or so but he quickly came on the bridle after. I had tonnes of horse and I waited for room then. Tony said he’d never had the horse in such good form. He knows what he’s doing.

“It’s nearly 10 years since I’ve switched to the flat. I’m lucky to still be riding horses, really, and riding winners. It’s great to ride a big winner like this at a festival, especially for Tony, who has been good to me all my career.”

The winning owners revealed the eight-year-old had to overcome a stone bruise late in his preparation for Galway, with swimming sessions through the Slevins of Rathmolyon said to be key to meeting his festival target.

Martin said: “He was third in this race last year and we didn’t have the prep in him, no racecourse gallop. Luckily enough this year, we got it right.”

Was the trainer nervous watching the lack of racing room Orandi had turning in?

“I was hoping he’d meet even more trouble,” said Martin.

“He won well and got there in plenty of time. That’s typical of Ruby Walsh of old and other top jockeys. There’s only one winning post, especially around Galway. A lot can change in the last furlong.

“What a rider Robbie Colgan is too. He’s the most underrated rider in Ireland.”