BALLYBRIT had to wait 23 years to see a four-year-old win the Guinness Galway Hurdle when Zarak The Brave achieved the feat last year, and Nurburgring followed suit with a dominating seven-length success under J.J. Slevin for Joseph O’Brien and Bronsan Racing.

In a race that got off to a particularly messy start for many, Slevin managed to find an extremely smooth run through on the 13/2 shot. The youngster jumped and travelled with purpose throughout.

My Mate Mozzie, third in the race 12 months ago, looked the biggest danger to the winner upon turning in, but nothing got close to the Triumph Hurdle fourth. In fact, it was another four-year-old, Ndaawi, who stayed on best from behind for second.

Big-race favourite, Daddy Long Legs (5/1), failed to beat a single rival home, with Paul Townend noting that his mount "got turned sideways at the start and got left" behind.

Slevin said: “It's a very special race to win, I'm very lucky. The start was a bit of a shambles but I got where I wanted to be and Danny [Mullins, rider of the front-running Anotherway] was parking it up everywhere and doing his own thing.

“This lad travelled well and jumped well. I let him roll along before the second last and he's done it well. He's a little bit below those proper juvenile Grade 1 horses but did it well here.

“It's massive to do this for Joseph. The support he’s given me over the years has been unreal and I don't like to think where I'd be without him.”

Summer target

Victory in the Galway Hurdle continued an excellent week for O'Brien, who was making it four winners at the meeting this week, including one in another of the major races after landing the Colm Quinn BMW Mile with Mexicali Rose on Tuesday.

“When he ran well at Punchestown [in third behind Kargese in Grade 1 company], we decided this was a good mid-summer target to have," said O'Brien.

"He had a little holiday and then had a nice run over a short-ish trip on the flat at Leopardstown, to blow the cobwebs away. He ran a good race [in sixth].

"He came here with the four-year-old allowance, but it really was a fantastic ride from J.J. - he got a good start, a great position, made a lovely move at the top of the hill. It was a very impressive performance for a four-year-old.

"He was a fresh horse today and was dropping from Grade 1s into a handicap - that class drop is always a help. He’ll probably have to go back to graded company now.”

There was drama before the Ladies Day feature got underway, as the gamble of the race, Petrol Head, was withdrawn by the directors of the IHRB after a positive sample emerged from his recent Bellewstown win.

A ready winner of his only two starts this year after a 708-day layoff, he had been as big as 16/1 overnight for the Galway Hurdle before shortening up to as tight as 9/2 favourite prior to being declared a non-runner.

The positive test relates to his €50,000 Bia Energy Bellewstown Handicap Hurdle last month for trainer Katy Brown and owners the Orchard Garden Syndicate.

A statement from the IHRB released just after 12.30pm on Thursday said: “Following notification from LGC Laboratories of a screening finding in a post-race sample taken from Petrol Head at Bellewstown on July 6, 2024, the IHRB immediately commenced an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the screening finding.

"At 11am on Thursday, August 1, the IHRB received confirmation from LGC Laboratories of the presence of a prohibited substance in the sample taken at Bellewstown. As a result of this confirmation of a prohibited substance and following the IHRB investigation into the matter, the directors of the IHRB have withdrawn Petrol Head from the Galway Hurdle under the provisions of Rule 21 of the Rules of the Racing.

“The IHRB will not be commenting any further on the matter until the disciplinary process is complete."

As for the beginning of the Galway Hurdle, the raceday stewards reviewed the start and were satisfied that no further action was warranted.