THE metronomic Galvin extended a winning sequence which stretches all the way back to a runner-up finish at Cheltenham in March 2020 with a taking comeback triumph in the Grade 3 Irish Daily Star Best For Racing Chase.
On his first start since landing Cheltenham’s National Hunt Chase, the Gordon Elliott inmate had to give weight and fitness away to the Willie Mullins-trained pair of Annamix and Brahma Bull who had filled second and third in last month’s Kerry National.
Those with the confidence to make the Ronnie Bartlett-owned Galvin the evens favourite were rewarded though as he notched up yet another victory to earn a tilt at the big time.
For much of this near three-mile contest Davy Russell was content to take a lead from his two main opponents before urging Galvin along as the runners turned for home.
At this stage, the seven-year-old moved into second and he then bested Annamix after the final fence to get home by half a length.
“I thought it was a good performance to give away the weight despite not having a recent run. He’s a good horse and he knows how to win and I’d say we might head to Down Royal for the Grade 1 at the end of the month,” declared Elliott.
“We’ll see how he gets on next time before deciding what route to take for the season but I’d say we’ll give him a break through the winter as we usually do with him.
“He could well be a Grand National horse.”
Elliott also supplied the odds-on favourite Lieutenant Highway in the BetVictor-sponsored bumper but in a race run at a crawl, he had to settle for a close third behind Hey Johnny (9/2) who struck for Tom Mullins and his son Charlie.
Sedate pace
Hey Johnny, who won a Ballinrobe bumper in May and has since run creditably in defeat, dictated the especially sedate pace before picking up best when the sprint for home began inside the final half mile.
The Joseph Fitzpatrick-owned half-brother to Sir Gerhard first dealt with the effort of Lieutenant Highway and then reached the line half a length ahead of the staying-on newcomer Alquinto.
“I didn’t envy Charlie having to ride a four-horse race but he rode it well and the horse’s previous experience helped him,” remarked Mullins, who is eyeing an auction maiden hurdle at Galway later this month for the winner.
After the race the stewards held an enquiry regarding the fact that the race’s four riders did not make sufficient effort to ride at a reasonable pace and that such action which could be deemed to be at variance with the spirit of competitive horse racing and contrary to the proper conduct of riders at a race meeting.
The stewards noted the riders’ explanations and reminded each rider of their future conduct in this regard.
GAVIN Cromwell took the wraps off a potentially high-class novice hurdler in My Mate Mozzie (11/8) who impressed in the BetVictor-sponsored maiden hurdle over two miles.
A debut bumper winner at the Festival here in April, the Alymer Stud-owned son of Born To Sea more than confirmed that initial promise with a clinical display which was characterised by a fine round of jumping.
After two out the odds-on favourite Barbados closed in to briefly look as though he might make a race of things. However, it was all one-way traffic in the straight as Sean Flanagan let out an inch or two of rein and his mount bounded clear in impressive fashion to finish with eight lengths to spare.
“He’s a lovely horse and likes a bit of nice ground. I haven’t really formed a plan but maybe something like Leopardstown with some nice ground at Christmas would suit. I wouldn’t like to run him on heavy ground,” declared Cromwell.
Although they were out of luck with Barbados, Jessica Harrington and Robbie Power did strike with another favourite as Mighty Meggsie won the mares’ handicap hurdle over two miles.
The Eileen Queally-owned five-year-old was returned at 6/4 to follow up a Down Royal maiden hurdle triumph in late August and produced a willing effort. She wasn’t as fluent at the last flight as Elegant Lass and the latter came away from that obstacle with a small but useful advantage.
To her credit though, Mighty Meggsie came again on the run-in and she got on top to score by a length and three-parts.
The improving Romella made it three wins on the spin in the 80-109 rated handicap hurdle over two miles. After winning at Clonmel in June, John Joe Walsh’s charge returned in good order to strike at Roscommon late last month and she defied a 6lb rise in the weights for that recent triumph.
Ambrose McCurtin produced the Anthony Byrne-owned mare to lead at the last flight and the 7/2 shot kept on well to defeat the staying on Ricky Langford by a length and three-parts. The winner will remain on the go for the time being but a break during the winter beckons.
Embittered gets his rewards
EMBITTERED, who posted a number of creditable efforts against quality opposition last term, secured the decent prize that his talents merited in the Grade 3 BetVictor-sponsored novice chase.
Joseph O’Brien’s charge was beaten a neck by Exit Poll in a Roscommon Grade 3 last time but he reversed that form emphatically after heading that opponent after halfway and dominating the race thereafter.
The Gigginstown House Stud-owned and Bryan Cooper-ridden gelding relished forcing tactics as he ground his rivals into submission before reaching the line just under three lengths ahead of the four-year-old Hurricane Georgie.
“The extra couple of furlongs today suited him, it was maybe a bit sharp for him at Roscommon last time. He jumped lovely today and I thought he won the race by taking the other horse on a long way out,” commented the trainer’s representative Brendan Powell.
Stepped in
Eoin Walsh stepped in for a chance winner aboard the Colm Murphy-trained Aldo The Apache in the two-and-a-half-mile handicap hurdle where the jockey replaced Mike O’Connor who suffered a collarbone injury the previous day.
A 66/1 winner of a maiden hurdle in the summer before finishing down the field on his return to action at Ballinrobe last month, the five-year-old enjoyed quite a comfortable success after being backed from 25/1 in the morning into 10/1.
The Room For One More Syndicate-owned gelding picked off Whatsnotoknow before the last and he reached the line with half a dozen lengths to spare on just his sixth career start.