TRAPRISE - Noah is Magical in TIME opener at Galway

A debut winner at Galway in early February, Sandra Guilfoyle’s Magical Noah (Grangeview Ten-Grangeview Mags) turned attentions to the TIME A3 525 Yard Stake at the western venue on Friday, and doubling his win tally, set a scorching standard in a fastest of the night performance.

Finding traffic when held over the sprint distance last time out, the Pat Guilfoyle trained June 2022 pup ensured no such woes this time when breaking on terms from trap 3 before displaying the best early dash for a tight one-length lead at the opening bend. Forcefully galloping the turn while sweeping across a rival to his inside, Magical Noah effectively settled the race when streaking clear on the run to halfway. Visually impressive while maintaining a powerful gallop throughout, the Guilfoyle prospect saw out the trip strongly when striking the line with seven and a half lengths to spare in a very smart 28.77 (-10).

That winning time will bring a rise to the Open ranks upon completion of the 24-runner event but much the fastest on Friday, Magical Noah holds every chance to compensate for the upgrade with outright victory in the event.

Further competition action at Galway saw Vincent McKenna & Paul Pardy’s Tip Off (Ballymac Best-Blackstone May) advance to the final of the WGOBA St Patrick’s Weekend S7 325 Dash in the infancy of his career.

A runner-up under similar conditions last time, the McKenna trained February 2022 whelp broke sharply from trap 4 and held a narrow lead throughout the early exchanges. Joined by a sharp rival on his inside approaching the opening bend, however, Tip Off ceded the lead while forced wide into the home stretch. Settling for a two and three-quarter length third in 18.24 (-5) thereafter, the lightly raced youngster remains open to plenty of improvement from this third career start and holds plausible winning claims if reaching the first with a lead in this week’s final showdown.

Five on the spin for Lolo

Concluding that same meeting, the Lorrha kennels of Michael Hogan are never far from the winner’s enclosure at Galway but a regular fixture on the podium, Emily Hogan’s Grangeview Lolo (Ballymac Best-Grangeview West) further extended her remarkable career figures with the completion of a five-timer on Saturday.

Claiming a fourteenth win in total, the April 2021 kennel stalwart has filled a forecast place in 23 of her thirty-four race starts and with this latest win streak all coming in A1 grade, the Hogan star looked as good as ever when battling through tight quarters in the early strides of Saturday’s Slán Abhaile 525.

Breaking on level terms from trap 2, Grangeview Lolo was the meat in a canine sandwich for much of her approach to the opening bend but refusing to cede within repeated jostling, struck the front while securing command of the rails upon turning. Free to gallop independently to the backstraight, the Hogan winner extended to a three-length advantage at halfway before completing victory in dismissive fashion while staying stoutly to the line. Posting 29.13 (-10), she avoids a rise in grade for her next outing and amongst the most feared opponents for any at Galway, will be very difficult to contain as she seeks six in-a-row!

Within a wonderful run of recent form, it seems the weekend racing action can hardly pass without a winner for Abigail & Tina Morrissey, and the mother and daughter team were at it again at Limerick on Saturday as they introduced another bright prospect with a most eye-catching debut victory for Abigails Lulu (Great Blue Shark-Errill Abbey).

Breaking on terms from trap 1 in the Inter Track Betting ON2 525, the September 2020 whelp tracked an early paced rival throughout the initial exchanges and though tackling the opening bend within a length of the lead with command of the rails, ceded a near three-length advantage on the run to halfway. However, it was from this point that the Morrissey pup displayed far superior strength beyond the midway point and reducing her arrears around the closing bends, she joined the pacesetter at the top of the home stretch. Bounding clear thereafter, Abigails Lulu stayed very strongly to the line while galloping to an ultimately comfortable four and a half length verdict in a smart 29.33.

Open to any amount of improvement for this first race experience, she will hold every chance to quickly double up while eligible to contest at an appealing A5 level next time!