KILLEAGH, Co Cork owner-breeder Kevin Galvin admits now it was a fair risk to go out and buy the dam Miss Esther over 10 years ago.

She had produced real quality on the track, most notably the eight-time winner and dual Grade 2 scorer Moon Over Miami, but she was 13, so had a limited shelflife in that respect, and you just never know with horses.

It was a risk that has paid off because she has gone on to produce five more horses to make the track including Roi De Dubai who has won five races for John McConnell and Presenting Lisa who added further blacktype to the pedigree when racing for Alan King.

The last foal she produced was Esthers Marvel, who Galvin decided to roll the dice with on the track, and though it’s taken her a while to get her head in front, she did so in a mares’ beginners chase Kilbeggan last month and, in so doing, delivered her owner-breeder a first ever success on the track.

“Derek O’Connor rode her in a four-year-old point-to-point and he said if you’re going to keep one for racing, keep her but it’s taken me five years to get a win out of her!” Galvin says with a laugh. “Oh, we had a good night after she won, in fairness. You have to enjoy these days, they don’t happen too often.”

Esthers Marvel has been an admirably consistent mare but you wouldn’t have blamed Galvin for becoming despondent with her after no less than six second placings when racing over hurdles. And, when the 4/6 favourite Brave Way, representing the Honeysuckle trio of Blackmore, de Bromhead and Alexander, took up the running late on at Kilbeggan, you wouldn’t have blamed Galvin for thinking ‘oh, here we go again’.

But to her great credit, Esthers Marvel put her head down and rallied for Darragh O’Keeffe, and got back up to beat the favourite to score at 22/1, securing Galvin a €5,000 Weatherbys ITBA NH Fillies bonus in the process.

Thrilled

“We were thrilled,” Galvin asserts. “She wouldn’t be the fastest now but she’s tough out and she is a great jumper. We always knew she’d be better over fences than she was over hurdles.

“We brought her back in after Valentine’s Day and I gave Ken (Budds, trainer) one target. I said Ken there’s a mares’ chase in Kilbeggan in May, and I won’t bother you any more about winning mares bonuses after that. So in fairness he got her there and she did it lovely. I’d say she is probably one of the oldest mares to collect a bonus.

“Like, the bonus makes it very attractive. It’s very good for the smaller owner-breeders. It’s actually a pity they don’t have a few more for the lower grade mares in the handicap hurdles.

“I’d just be thinking everyone has cottoned onto the bonus now and the standard in mares’ maiden hurdles is red-hot because the scheme is so attractive. Maybe they’ll put a bonus on a few more handicap hurdles in the coming years - I know they have a couple already.”

Esthers Marvel is the last foal Miss Esther has produced so Galvin says he’s likely to breed from her now, as he is already doing with her half sister Moon Over Monaloo. Keeping horses has always given him a different interest to his main day-to-day dealing with cattle, and while those animals provide a more reliable income stream, you can’t buy the kick Galvin got out of seeing Esthers Marvel power up the Kilbeggan hill.

“It was amazing,” he says. “She’ll win another chase and we’ll go back over hurdles as well. She got 10lb for winning that beginners’ chase but sure it was worth it for winning the bonus. But she is rated 85 over hurdles now so we’ll have to go back.”