Veteran Valours Minion on the upgrade

Mark Enright could afford several peeks over his shoulder as 11-year-old Valours Minion strolled to victory in the two mile one handicap chase in Galway.

The in-form veteran was always towards the fore in this race. He jumped into the lead at the third last before being narrowly headed by Whisky Galore two out.

He travelled powerfully to hit the front entering the straight and strode clear in the final furlong for a four lengths victory at 9/2 (from 11/2 this morning). Whisky Galore at 25/1 ran a decent race in second as he cut out most of the running. He was three and a quarter lengths ahead of 4/1 joint favourite Georgie The other joint favourite, Luddsdenene couldn’t pick up and came in seventh.

Val O’Brien said: “My brother Sean bought him as a yearling. He seems to have come to hand recently. He has been placed previously before this year. He has come to form and he seems to have improved at 11.

“We’ll look to Naas in a fortnight’s time. There’s a two mile or a two and a half mile chase for him there. We’ll have to look for something for him here next summer, maybe the Galway Blazers.”

Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes