Coltor and Finian Maguire snatched the spoils in the valuable Connacht Hotel (QR) Handicap to deny Aubrey McMahon a third victory in the day one feature at Galway.
Coltor (14-1) defies a drift in the market to win the feature Connacht Hotel Handicap at the @Galway_Races for rider Finian Maguire and trainer Dermot Weld. pic.twitter.com/kLJAuotBs5
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) July 26, 2021
Maguire himself had ridden subsequent Group 1 scorer Princess Zoe to victory 12 months ago, while McMahon had partnered Whiskey Sour and Uradel to win in 2017 and 2018.
When McMahon hit the front on Foveros, like his two previous winners trained by Willie Mullins, he looked sure to win, but Maguire pulled Dermot Weld’s Coltor out from in behind and his mount quickened well.
Sent off a 14/1 chance, it was Weld’s first victory in the race since Midnight Music in 2012.
Coltor went on to win by three-quarters of a length with a further length and a quarter back to Harry Fry’s Litterale Ci in third.
Weld said: “I thought he’d run very well last time out at the Curragh but by the time the last race came, the ground was gone very heavy and testing and that’s not for him. It was beautiful ground today, on the slow side of good.
Dermot Weld reflects on the win of Coltor at the @Galway_Races, with the 'King of Ballybrit' also talking up the chances of a juvenile daughter of Lope De Vega fancied to shed her maiden tag at the second attempt on Tuesday. pic.twitter.com/JNEOf8Ta1Y
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) July 26, 2021
“Finny was with me for a couple of years, is a very talented guy and has been in France riding successfully for the past six weeks. He came back especially to ride today and this is the owner Mischa Bucher’s, son of Eva Haefner of Moyglare Stud, first horse.
“I thought coming down in the car that a two-mile handicap at York in the middle of August would be a plan for him. York is now the immediate target.
“He’ll go jumping at Leopardstown at Christmas time, he never wants the ground too heavy.
“It was a lovely race to win, it has been a very lucky race for me as a trainer and I won it four times as a amateur jockey, starting as a 15 year old.”
O'CALLAGHAN WINNER
The opening Claregalwayhotel.ie Irish EBF (C & G) Maiden went to Michael O’Callaghan’s I Am Magic (15/2).
Gripping finish!
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) July 26, 2021
I Am Magic runs out an all-the-way winner in the opener to this year's Galway Festival, and under an enterprising ride from local man @LeighRoche1992 for trainer @MDOCallaghan#GiddyforGalway @Galway_Races #GalwayRaces pic.twitter.com/6jbf5vy9mY
Despite finishing in front of Aidan O’Brien’s Anchorage last time out, that one was sent off the 5/4 favourite but the form was confirmed as Leigh Roche made all on I Am Magic.
“It was a lovely performance, he is a nice horse and we thought a lot of him. The plan was to make every post a winning post and he got the fractions right,” said O’Callaghan.
“He travelled very strong, has plenty of natural pace and Leigh said he was just getting lonely in front. It is tough to make the running here, but we’ve found it a way of keeping things simple as well.
“We think he’ll improve again, will get a mile and we’ll step him up to stakes company now. He has a Futurity Stakes entry but we’ll look at a few options in the UK as well.”
TIGHT FINISH
Black Cat Bobby (14/1) prevailed in a tight finish to win the Claytonhotelgalway.ie Handicap for Ciaran Murphy and Gavin Ryan.
“He loved the hill and hung on and I’m over the moon with the horse. We thought plenty of him as a two-year-old but he grew and was backward, so we minded him along,” said Murphy.
“He’ll have an entry for the weekend and see how he is.”
Jessica Harrington and Shane Foley got off the mark for the week when Maud Gonne Spirit was an 18/1 winner of the Galwaybayhotel.com & Galmont.com Handicap.
Maud Gonne Spirit lunges for victory and at 18/1 in the https://t.co/SolhwvLgYU & https://t.co/Dl5dHiwG4e Handicap for Shane Foley and @Jessica_Racing ?? #GiddyforGalway #GalwayRaces pic.twitter.com/2GqPzmaL6T
— Galway Races (@Galway_Races) July 26, 2021
“She has frustrated us up until now. We were baffled by her runs compared to her work and we fancied her once or twice but she ran bad. It all worked out today. ” said Foley.
FOLEY & HARRINGTON DOUBLE
Foley and Harrington also struck gold with Citronnade (7/1) in the Eventus Handicap.
? Off the mark
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) May 23, 2021
Citronnade (Lemon Drop Kid) opens her account at the third time of asking for Shane Foley & @Jessica_Racing at the @curraghrace
Results & free replays ? https://t.co/sBcsavHpYf pic.twitter.com/VPSqVvNXFz
Dylan Browne McMonagle once again advertised his talents when winning on Joseph O’Brien’s Merroir (6/1) in the Easyfix Handicap.
Merroir wins the feature race at @BallinrobeRaces, the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Handicap for Dylan Browne McMonagle for @JosephOBrien2 ??@IrishEBF_ pic.twitter.com/9ygZ96fcCq
— Horse Racing Ireland (@HRIRacing) June 21, 2021
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