A FEATURE of this year’s meeting was the success enjoyed by some of the country’s smaller yards and this was perhaps best exemplified by the victory of the John Joe Walsh-trained Ballyegan Hero in the €100,000 Galway Shopping Centre Handicap Hurdle.
Walsh came to Galway with just two runners, both of whom are owned by Tralee-based Dr Tom O’Brien, and Davids Charm won a red-hot handicap here on Wednesday before Ballyegan Hero claimed this valueable prize. In the past, Walsh has trained the winners of the Munster and Kerry Nationals and a Troytown Chase but this six-figure purse was unquestionably one of the most lucrative of his career.
A dual winner at Tramore before this, Ballyegan Hero had been running to a solid level on his last three starts. At all stages of this three-mile race, Rachael Blackmore had him well placed and the 16/1 shot came away from the second last holding every chance.
He raised his effort in the straight splendidly as he fought off the favourite, Lagostovegas, after the last flight and then just held on by a nose from the strong-finishing Mine Now.
It seemed that the latter’s charge home had carried the day but a photo revealed that Walsh’s charge had claimed the verdict by a nose. The runner-up looked unlucky having made a bad mistake at the second last.
“He’d a light weight and he does stay very well – he was only just beaten over three miles at Listowel a couple of months ago,” said Walsh, whose charge was bought by his owner for €8,000 as a foal.
“I was hoping he’d run a good race and get placed but he got a cracking ride off Rachael and the rain that fell may have helped him as it loosened up the ground a little. From where I was watching it I actually thought he was beaten.”
Twelve months ago the subsequent Irish Derby hero Capri got off the mark in the Galway Shopping Centre Irish EBF Maiden and there was another potential star on show this time around in Amedeo Modigliani. An eye-catching debut third at the Curragh last month saw this son of Galileo returned the 2/9 favourite and he couldn’t have been more impressive.
Aidan O’Brien’s charge cruised through the race under Seamie Heffernan who was content to take a lead for as long as he could.
As the last furlong loomed, the regally bred son of Galileo was asked to quicken up and, in just a few strides, he shot by the front-running Crecerelle to come five and a half lengths clear.
“He’s won that very nicely. Seamie was delighted with him and he likes him,” reported the trainer’s son Joseph. “He travelled well and quickened up smartly and I’d imagine he will step into a stakes race now.”
TWO WINS
The very likeable Deep Breath (3/1) made it two wins from three starts to date with a tenacious display in the Galway Shopping Centre EBF Nursery Handicap. The testing ground was a concern for the Pat Smullen-ridden filly but the step-up to seven furlongs promised to suit her and she was at her strongest when it mattered most.
Deep Breath looked to be in trouble when she dropped a couple of lengths off the leaders nearing the straight. She staged a fine rally though and finished strongly to deny Mount Wellington by a neck with the well-backed favourite Sebastiano Ricci a further head back in third.
“She’s a lovely filly and she’s very genuine, her heart got her there today. The ground is as soft as she wants and she won’t run on that ground again. She’s a filly that should improve with age,” stated Joe Murphy, who trains the daughter of Bated Breath for Alfred Sweetnam.
The indefatigable Bubbly Bellini (20/1) took his career tally to a commendable 18 wins from 132 starts in the Ardilaun Hotel Handicap. A first winner of the meeting for Colin Keane, the Adrian McGuinness inmate crept into this race as a second reserve and broke alertly to hold a good position from early on in this seven-furlong heat.
Keane got the 2012 Rockingham winner to the front just over a furlong from home and the 10-year-old withstood the late charge of Avalanche by a head. The gambled-on 7/2 favourite, Atlas, was the same distance back in third.
“He’d lost his form a bit this year but he loves a dig in the ground so I was praying he’d get in,” declared McGuinness, whose wife, Hazel, owns the winner with Gary Devlin. “He’s one of my favourite horses and I’m really thrilled for him.”
A frustrating week for Dermot Weld took a turn for the better as Aydoun (13/2) provided the Rosewell House trainer with his first victory of the meeting in the O’Leary Insurances Maiden Hurdle. The Chantal Regalado-Gonzalez-owned gelding shaped up well when third to Le Richebourg in the festival opener on Monday and took full advantage of this easier assignment.
Bryan Cooper’s mount, who was wearing cheekpieces for the first time, was travelling well when he loomed up to challenge the favourite Big Ben on the run to the last and he was in charge from early on the run-in. Aydoun stayed on well in the closing stages to finish with half a dozen lengths to spare.
“He had a good run here on Monday and the cheekpieces sharpened him up,” commented Cooper. “He handled the ground well and jumped well and he won going away.”
Easily one of the most appropriate winners of the meeting was Athenry Boy – in the colours of acclaimed Fields Of Athenry singer Paddy Reilly – in the Terry Cunningham Memorial Handicap.
The first reserve lined up as a 22-race maiden but he turned up in rare order to account for a host of fancied rivals.
Wayne Lordan allowed the 20/1 chance to stride on inside the final half-mile and the pair dug in splendidly when tackled by Tudor City entering the straight. The last-named edged ahead for a brief period but Athenry Boy was back on top inside the distance and he held the staying-on Detailed by half a length.
“He likes a good dig in the ground and he’s been unlucky not to win before now, but he battled very well and it was a great ride from Wayne,” reflected Jim Gorman. “Unfortunately Paddy wasn’t here today as he’s gone to Croke Park. I’m thrilled to get a winner here for him.”
As expected, the card concluded with a Willie Mullins winner as True Self outclassed her opponents in the Galway Shopping Centre Irish EBF Mares Flat Race.
The 4/7 chance showed considerable promise when touched off on her sole outing in Britain last winter and looked a filly of real potential here. Patrick Mullins allowed her to saunter to the front over two furlongs from home and she only needed to be nudged along to score by eight lengths.
“She looks a really nice mare and Patrick thinks that she’ll be good enough to win a staying maiden on the flat,” remarked Mullins.
“She is the first horse that the owners (Three Mile House Partnership) have had with us and she looks a nice one.”
ACTING STEWARDS
D. Pugh, O. Kearney, Ms. J. Farrell, K. Walsh, S. Quinn
Horse To Follow
KILBARY WAY (C. O’Keeffe) This Getaway filly ran with considerable credit on her debut to finish second to the classy True Self in the bumper. A mares’ bumper should go her way this autumn.
Highlight Of The Day
A GOOD meeting for the smaller stables continued as Ballyegan Hero took the day’s feature. The ageless Bubbly Bellini also warrants a mention as he made it 18 wins from 132 career starts.