This article is from page 79 of the 2008-08-05 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 79 JPG
THE 2008 Galway Races will once again be remembered for the remark- able achievements of Dermot Weld who won the leading trainer award for the 22nd year while also record- ing a landmark 200th winner at the Ballybrit track on Wednesday.
But it will also be remembered in Cooraclare for Thursday’s success of the Thomas O’Doherty owned Skip Two ridden by Barry Cash came home to victory at 9/1 in the Guin- ness Novice Steeplechase.
Weld ended the week with ten win- ners for the fifth time at Galway hav- ing made a flying start to the meet- ing with an impressive four winners on the opening day of the seven-day festival. Bookmakers were running for cover after two more winners on both Tuesday and Wednesday and Weld must have been a short price after the first three days to set a new
Galway record of more than ten win- ners but, much to the relief of the lay- ers, he drew a blank on Thursday and DUCA A
The highlight of Weld’s opening day four-timer came in the feature race, the GPT Amateur Handicap, where Majestic Concorde ran out a convincing winner under Robbie McNamara. Given a fine ride by the stylish amateur, the 7/1 chance went for home on the uphill climb and he stayed on strongly to win by four lengths from Power Of Future with Arc Bleu and Fantoche making up the places. This year’s victory con- tinued Weld’s fine record in the two- mile handicap which he first won as a jockey on his father’s Ticonderaga in 1964 while also training and riding Spanner to win the big race in 1972, 1973 and 1975. The other three win- ners which completed the 494/1 four- timer for the ‘King Of Galway’ came from Broad Meaning (/f maiden),
Ghimaar (1m4f handicap) and Battle In Hand (2m bumper).
The bookmakers were left reeling following the William Hill Galway Plate as Oslot proved a hugely popu- lar winner of Wednesday’s feature having been backed from an open- ing show of 11/2 to 11/4 favourite. The €240,000 handicap chase was a long-term target for the Paul Nichol- Is trained six year-old who became only the third British trained winner of the Plate under an exemplary ride from Ruby Walsh. The locally owned Oodachee ran a fine race for connec- tions and trainer Charlie Swan to fin- ish second at 14/1.
The mighty Ansar continued his love-affair with Galway when stay- ing on strongly for Denis O’ Regan to snatch third place from Brave Right. It was another great effort from Der- mot Weld’s twelve-year old who was appearing in his sixth Galway Plate and running at the Ballybrit sum-
mer festival for the tenth consecutive year.
The Guinness Galway Hurdle, the big race on the fourth day, was won by the John Kiely trained Indian Pace who provided his trainer with ample compensation for the absence of the long-time ante-post favourite, King Rama. A good fifth in Monday’s big race, the well-backed 7/1 chance ap- preciated the underfoot conditions under a great ride from 17 year-old Paul Townend who rode the first winner of his career at last year’s fes- tival. Last year’s third placed horse, Eagle’s Pass, ran another fine race to finish second with the well-backed favourite, Northern Alliance, close in third under Ruby Walsh.
In a week that was highlighted by the big race victories for the younger brigade of jockeys, Danny Mullins, Paul Townend and Chris Hayes, 18 year-old jockey Sam James provid- ed Kevin Prendergast with another
big Galway success when guiding the 12/1 chance Almass to win the feature race on the final day, the 7f Michael McNamara premier handi- cap.
Despite the effect of the current economic downturn, there were still some phenomenal attendances and betting figures over the course of the seven days at Galway. The total number of people who paid through the turnstiles for the week was 174,521 which was only a 5% reduc- tion on last year’s attendance figure. Unsurprisingly, the biggest crowd of the week came on Thursday when there was a massive turnout of 46,186 people which was a huge crowd con- sidering the poor weather on Ladies Day. The Tote turnover of almost €7.3 million was down 14% on last year’s figure while Ruby Walsh and Pat Smullen claimed the top jockey prizes with three and six winners re- spectively.