Ballybacka Queen seen here winning at Tipperary© Photo Healy Racing
Given her Galway connections there would hardly be a more popular winner at Ballybrit all week than if Ballybacka Queen were to triumph in the Listed Arthur Guinness European Breeders Fund Corrib Fillies Stakes.
Her trainer is Carlow-based Athenry native Pat Fahy and he explained: "Doctor Michael Corcoran and his wife Patsy own her, with John Joe Brady and his wife Una and their families. The Corcoran family live near Clarinbridge in Galway."
On the already Group 3 placed Ballybacka Queen, Fahy stated: "It got very hard that day (when towards the rear in the Irish Oaks last time) and she just doesn't like it. Once there's no 'jar' in it she's happy enough but the two times she's run on firm she wouldn't stride out.
"She's proven that she can handle the track and she was beaten by an Oaks runner-up (Tarfasha, here last year at the Festival in a maiden). She of course went on to finish second to probably the best filly in the world in Taghrooda.
"As usual though, when we go to Galway, we seem to end up with the worst of the draw (in twelve).
"Hopefully she can at least run into a place at the same time. We'll be giving three lengths away from the very beginning with the draw and we can't ride her patiently dropping back to seven around Galway."
Meanwhile Tom Hogan is in a similar position to Fahy, with his Califante As a 66/1 shot three runs back, Califante excelled herself when taking the third spot in the Group 3 Brownstown Stakes at Fairyhouse.
Hogan said: “She's the kind of a one that might be better off out in the car-park (drawn widest in stall thirteen). It's not a huge drawback to her to be drawn wide – you can ride her patiently.
"We're hoping for the best and if she can pick up another bit of black-type it would be great. She stayed on well the day she was third in the Brownstown and she ran well in Killarney as well.
"She saw too much light up the Curragh on the straight track last time but anyway she's a little bit of an enigmatic character. She has loads of ability and we just hope she shows a bit of it tomorrow.
"Even at the rating (97) that she's got to now I think there's more in her. If she produced all of her ability she could be very good. Ronan (Whelan) gets a very good tune out of her but she is a bit tricky."
Meanwhile the two racing legends that on Wednesday receive Honorary Doctorates from NUI Galway, Jim Bolger and Dermot Weld, have the horses that set the standard in this seven furlong affair, Tobann (rated 102) and Tested (rated 105). The only other one that boasts a three figure rating is Michael Halford's Slipper Orchid (on an official mark of 100).
