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GALWAY PLATE

FROM the moment the entries for the race were released, Balko Des Flos looked a compelling contender for one of the country’s richest chases and he produced a performance to match in dominating the conclusion of this year’s Plate.

A second winner of the race for Henry de Bromhead and a third in four years for Gigginstown House Stud, Balko Des Flos was crediting Davy Russell with his initial success in this iconic prize.

Russell could hardly have hoped for a more straightforward passage on the classy six-year-old whose form last winter bore the closest inspection.

A third behind Our Duke and Disko in a Leopardstown Grade 1 in February represented one of the winner’s standout efforts and his more recent third to Woodland Opera at the Punchestown Festival came in a race that had produced the last three Plate winners.

All this wasn’t lost on punters who ensured that he was sent off the 6/1 second favourite and supporters would have been on good terms with themselves at all stages. Indeed this polished display would suggest that handicaps will be a thing of the past for the winner and a return to quality graded company is likely.

SMOOTH

In a race that was uneventful for the opening two and a quarter miles, Balko Des Flos was never any worse than fifth and he was travelling smoothly in the front rank from the fourth last.

As the leaders came to the final two fences in the dip, the chesnut was typically spring-heeled for Russell and he brushed aside Sandymount Duke after the last to open up a good lead on the long climb for home.

Shaneshill, who clouted the second last just as he was making ominous progress on the inner, was the one to lead the chase on the run-in but Balko Des Flos never looked likely to relinquish his advantage. He kept up a steady tempo for Russell and crossed the line with four and three-quarter lengths to spare over Shaneshill for whom this was a first run over fences since he was second in last year’s RSA Chase at Cheltenham. The five-year-old Slowmotion was third, while A Toi Phil put in some good late work for fourth.

“It’s hard to believe that we’ve won it again and he was really good today. I’m delighted for the horse, he got a super ride from Davy and it was a great plan by Eddie O’Leary who mentioned it after he was third at Punchestown in April,” said a delighted de Bromhead.

“I was slightly concerned about the ground coming here and I was wondering if it might be a shade quick for him as he handled winter ground well and won on heavy at Fairyhouse in January but he’s handled it well. Maybe the better ground has actually been a help to him.

“He looks to be an improving horse so we’ll see now can he take it to the next level but I’ll sit down with Eddie and Michael (O’Leary) before we make a definite plan as to where he will go next,” concluded the trainer.

Russell paid tribute to the efforts of his mount: “His jumping was great and very economical. I felt coming to the second last I was getting there too soon and then winged the last two and I said myself I’m there way too soon but you just can’t give away an advantage like that.

“On the run-in I did have to get stuck into him but he was very brave up against that hill.

“The credit for this win should really go to my agent Kevin O’Ryan as it was really him that got me the ride,” added the jockey.