REST OF THE CARD
FRESH from his excellent third in Royal Ascot’s Britannia Stakes, the Ger Lyons-trained Sacrifical defied top-weight with some authority in the Bet Online At Thetote.com Handicap.
The Qatar Racing-owned gelding faced an unenviable task in trying to concede weight all around in this smart looking three-year-old only contest over a mile.
This was an especially rough race but Sacrificial was able to evade the scrimmaging which took place throughout the last furlong and a half.
The Colin Keane-ridden winner swept to the front turning in and he soon moved clear on the way to a two and three quarter lengths win over Lily’s Rainbow.
“Royal Ascot made a man of him and the ground suited too as it was on the easy side,” commented the trainer’s brother Shane. “He’s grown up and I think that there is a nice handicap in him.”
For the third day in succession Willie Mullins claimed the opening race on the card as Thomas Hobson (11/10) banished his abortive jumping debut at Listowel to the distant past in the Tote-sponsored two-mile maiden hurdle.
The Susannah Ricci-owned five-year-old, who won four times on the level for John Gosden, made the running for Ruby Walsh.
However, he made a mistake three out and blundered three out which left him having to dig deep to fight off Stuccodor from the final flight. Despite drifting out to his left, he impressively found plenty on the run-in to pull clear.
“We decided to make it a test of stamina and hope his jumping held up which it did until the latter stages of the race,” stated Mullins.
“His jumping has improved but he has a bit more to go on that front. He just didn’t come up for Ruby at the third last and he just seemed to lose his confidence at the next. We might go back on the flat with him before he runs in a novice hurdle.”
For the second year in succession Dermot Weld supplied a Finny Maguire-ridden wide margin winner of the Tote-sponsored amateur riders’ mile and a half maiden as Time To Inspire outclassed his opponents.
The Moyglare Stud-owned son of Galileo, a half-brother to Forgotten Rules, was fitted with blinkers and had been gelded since reaching the frame in a Navan maiden in mid-May. The 5/4 favourite took over the lead from Here For The Craic rounding the last bend and he stormed clear to finish some 10 lengths ahead of fellow three-year-old Catalyst.
“He did it very well. He stays well and he’s a good actioned horse who was suited by the drying ground,” declared Weld. “He should progress into a lovely staying four-year-old.”
It was a day to live long in the memory for Sligo trainer Brian McMahon (36) as his Powersbomb claimed the Tote €40,000 Jackpot Guarantee Handicap Hurdle.
Furthermore, it was a victory to savour for jockey Mikey Fogarty who had missed the last two Festivals due to injury. Powersbomb hadn’t won since landing a Sligo bumper just over a year ago but he was as big as 25/1 in the morning before being returned at 12/1.
A patient Fogarty produced Powersbomb to challenge coming away from two out and, after opening up a useful lead, the gelding stuck to his task well to defeat Bank Bonus by almost five lengths.
“I thought that he’d a right chance. He’s been working well at home and putting a hood on him has helped. Jeremiah McGrath rode him last time at Down Royal and felt he was travelling very well when he was brought down,” reflected McMahon who trains the winner for the Coalbrook Racing Syndicate.
“It’s been an up and down year and this horse was my last winner when he won at Sligo but to have a winner at Galway is fantastic. My father passed away earlier in the year and he was a great supporter of mine and I’m sure he’s smiling down on me.”
Lilly The Lioness, who reached the frame in two handicap hurdles at last year’s fixture, gave Garrett Power his first Galway winner as a trainer in Tote-sponsored mares handicap hurdle.
The Pat McCarthy-owned and bred daughter of Welsh Lion was third in the 2014 running of this race but she was some 21lb higher in the weights this time around.
The 8/1 chance, who wasn’t going as well as some of her rivals approaching two out, responded to Mark Enright’s promptings to lead nearing the straight. Crystal Earth looked a threat from before the last but the tenacious Lilly The Lioness pulled out more to keep her at bay.
“She’s got a big heart. She hung today and her jumping wasn’t 100% either but she got a great ride from Mark and the pair of them just clicked,” commented Power who rode Whatchowillie to win a bumper on Galway Hurdle day in 1999.
Denis Hogan’s Bribe The Bouncer picked an opportune time to return to form as his last gasp lunge saw him carry the day in the It Pays To Bet With Tote Handicap over an extended mile.
The Connor King-ridden 16/1 shot, who struggled in his four previous outings this season, looked the only threat to the hat-trick chasing Plough Boy turning for home. The latter clung on bravely but he succumbed to his rival’s charge in the final yards to lose out by a head.
The winner carries the colours of the Premier Spirit Syndicate who bought him with the winnings they picked up after the Hogan-trained Ridestan won at this meeting last year.
“Connor is an exceptional rider and he timed things well there,” reflected Hogan. “This horse has plenty of ability but I was running him on the wrong ground. He needs an ease and not extremes. He’s in here on Saturday over seven furlongs.”
After filling the runner-up spot on his first two outings Boherbuoy (9/4) came good in the Tote Return All Profits To Irish Racing Maiden where the odds-on Weld runner New Agenda had to settle for fourth.
David Wachman’s second winner of the meeting strode to the front for Fran Berry and he had the favojurite beaten off as he rounded the last bend. The newcomer The Crewmaster finished well to take second, two lengths adrift.
“He learnt from his first two runs and he won nicely. I think the hill helped and he should get further and go on slower ground,” stated J.P. McManus’ racing manager Frank Berry.
ACTING STEWARDS
P.J.A. O’Connor, M.C. Hickey, Ms. J. Farrell, C. O’Flaherty, P.D. Matthews
HORSE TO FOLLOW
THE CREWMASTER (A.P. O’Brien): This Mastercraftsman made a bright start to his career to chase home Boherbuoy in the mile maiden. He finished out his race nicely to secure second and he looked as though he would be all the better for this experience. He shouldn’t be long in making his mark.
Sexton injured
Kevin Sexton was left with a suspected fractured right hand following the mares’ handicap hurdle.
Whip ban
Finny Maguire picked up a two-day whip ban after guiding Time To Inspire to victory in the amateur rider’s maiden.
Riding bans
Gary Halpin and Billy Lee were both hit with two day suspensions after the stewards looked into a series of incidents in the straight in the handicap won by Sacrificial.