Hogan starts bumper week for Tipp in Galway
Denis Hogan both trained and rode the Justin Carthy-owned Darkened to win the two-mile handicap hurdle on the opening day of the Galway festival.
Leading over the final flight, the 12/1 chance battled well to beat the Tom Gibney-trained Listentillitellyea by a nose.
Gavin Ryan, the leading Flat jockey at the Galway festival in 2020, landed a double on the second day of the festival on Tuesday. He teamed up with Kilkenny trainer Pat Murphy to win the seven-furlong maiden with Coreman, owned and bred by Maureen Hehir. The 100/30 chance headed Johnny Murtagh’s front-runner Karakoul over furlong from the finish and ran out a two-length winner.
In quite similar fashion, the Mark Fahey-trained Clear Quartz was a second winner for the Killenaule jockey as he took the concluding handicap over the extended eight furlongs in good style. The Jean Bird-owned shot came home a one and a quarter-length winner from the Charlie Moore-trained Turbine.
Jake Coen rode his eighteenth winner of the season to get Tom Mullins in on the action at Galway on Thursday when Star Image, carrying the colours of the trainer’s wife, Helen, took the 12-furlong handicap by the minimum margin. The 40/1 chance didn’t enjoy the clearest of runs before the straight, but she battled well to pip the Dermot Weld-trained Pale Moonlight by a nose.
Rachael Blackmore and Henry de Bromhead got off the mark for the Galway festival when Gabbys Cross landed the Guinness Galway Blazers Handicap Chase on Friday.
The Roger Brookhouse-owned seven-year-old led over the final fence and asserted inside the final furlong to beat the Joseph O'Brien-trained favourite Busselton by two and a quarter lengths with Willie Mullins’ Fan Des Blues three-parts of a length away in third place.
Joe Murphy landed the featured 12-furlong handicap with the smart five-year-old Sionnach Eile. Owned in partnership by Tom Egan, Dominick Glennane, Seamus O’Brien, and Bridget Dillon, the 9/1 chance had little difficulty in adding to his recent Ballinrobe success as he made all the running under Gary Carroll to win by all of six and a half lengths from the Barry Fitzgerald-trained Dame Rapide.
Trainer Andy Slattery and his son Andrew won the eight-furlong handicap with Flame Of Eire. Another to race up with the pace, the 17/2 chance led inside the final furlong and had half a length to spare over the Denise Foster-trained Molly’s Gamble at the line.
Jake Coen rounded off the session with success on Matthew Smith’s La Hacienda in the concluding handicap over 14-furlongs. In the colours of the Ratoath-based ABD Syndicate, the 10/1 chance was drawn widest of all but raced up with the pace to come home half a length to the good over the Tony Martin-trained favourite Unanswered.
Rachael Blackmore landed another notable success at the track the following afternoon where the Shark Hanlon-trained Hallowed Star ran way with the featured BoyleSports Handicap Hurdle. Racing clear from before the second last hurdle, the 8/1 chance came home all of seventeen lengths clear of the Ray Hackett-trained Happy Jacky in the colours of local owner Annette Mee, another big success for the Galway Plate-winning trainer.
Joe Murphy and Gary Carroll shared another winner as the Tony Auld-owned Pandora Lovegood readily justified her favourite’s tag in the seven-furlong nursery. The strong 15/8 chance made all the running to beat the Joseph O'Brien-trained Goa Gajahby a length.
Toomevara’s Conor Clarke gave trainer Emmet Mullins and owner Annette Mee further success when winning the opening opportunity handicap hurdle as the Galway festival came to a close on Sunday.
Teed Up, a very well-supported favourite, led after the second last hurdle and pulled away from the final flight to win by seven lengths from the Ado McGuinness-trained Lariat.
Upcoming Meetings
Sligo – Wednesday, August 3 (First Race 5.30pm)
Sligo – Thursday, August 4 (First Race 5.00pm)
Leopardstown – Thursday, August 4 (First Race 5.15pm)
Wexford – Friday, August 5 (First Race 4.45pm)
Tipperary – Friday, August 5 (First Race 5.00pm)
Curragh – Saturday, August 6 (First Race 1.30pm)
Kilbeggan – Saturday, August 6 (First Race 5.20pm)
Downpatrick – Sunday, August 7 (First Race 2.30pm)