Fifteen year-old apprentice, Tom Queally, recorded the biggest race victory of his short career when he successfully guided Tushna around the undulating Ballybrit course to land the featured McDonagh EBF Handicap on day two of the Galway festival.
Trainer Jim Bolger, who won this race last year with Tiger Shark, was impressed with the Pat Flynn apprentice after seeing him in action on prior occasions.
From the off, Queally produced Tushna at the front of 17 runner field. The colt pulled hard in the early stages of the one mile race
but Bolger said:' Tom used his head in front. He stretched the field but at the same time did not ask too much of Tushna.'
Tushna, who was bred by the trainer, needed a sharp reminder from Queally approaching the bend and duly responded by opening up a length advantage in the straight.
Bibi Karam produced a challenge on the stand side while the game Royal South had run his race tiring slightly on the rail. The gallant Tushna kept on in front and finished a length clear at the line.
Queally, a schoolboy from Dungarvan, County Waterford, was riding the sixth winner of his four month career. He rode his first winner aboard Lari Faari at Clonmel last April, which was only his fourth ride. He had never ridden for Jim Bolger before today`s race.
A son of Dungarvan trainer Declan Queally, Tom is anxiously awaiting his Junior Certificate results in September.
Mark Johnston opted to bypass Goodwood for today`s feature but the English trainer may be left ruing his decision after Tissifer trailed home a disappointing tenth.
Race favourite, Tarry Flynn, was attempting to give his trainer Dermot Weld a treble for the afternoon but looked in trouble from the two furlong marker, eventually passing the line in 14th place.
Dermot Weld was quick to praise stable jockey Pat Smullen for an 'excellent ride' aboard newcomer Crown Capers in the seven furlong McDonagh Feeds EBF Maiden.
Smullen`s mount was cruising turning for home but when pressed to quicken, Weld`s charge was sluggish off the mark and needed a determined drive from the Offaly jockey to hold off the renewed efforts of Cheal Rose.
Weld immediately nominated the Listed Debutante Stakes at the Curragh on August 20th as the filly`s next outing. He also said he was 'anxious about running the newcomer first time out at Galway but was pleased nonetheless with the outcome'.
Smullen starts a two day suspension tomorrow for a whip offense he was found guilty of in Ballinrobe last week.
The pre-race market suggested that the Willie Mullins-trained River Cora had the winning of he Albatros Chase but as the Carlow based trainer declared afterwards, they 'needed a bit of luck.'
River Cora was on hand to capitalise from a depleted field, as four of the nine runners failed to complete the 2m 6f course.
When Brandy Gale fell at the third last, Rugby Walsh - aboard the winner - kicked for home and tagged Monks Error turning the bend. Under strong driving from Walsh, River Cora lengthened his stride and had six lengths in hand at the finish.
Afterwards, Willie Mullins nominated a stint at the Kerry National and a possible run in the Thomas Pink Gold Cup - formerly the Murphy`s Gold Cup - at Cheltenham for the winner.
'We will also keep him in line for some of the bigger handicaps where he can run off low weights. I feel he would be sharper off 9 stone 7lbs or the 10 stone mark,' said Mullins.
Dermot Weld signaled he would run Ansar again on Friday afternoon after the Chester Cup runner-up cruised to victory in the opening Albatros N-Rich Maiden Hurdle.
'He will appear again on Friday in the 1m 6f Guinness Extra Cold Race. Today we expected no less from him and he handled the ground real well,' explained the delighted trainer.
Ansar, easily the quality horse in the field by virtue of solid flat form, had three comfortable lengths to spare over Patsy Veale at the finish.
Faithfulbond ensured a jackpot carryover worth £43,256 for Galway Plate day tomorrow when scoring in the last leg of the jackpot - the McDonagh Fertilizer Maiden.
Jason Behan`s mount was finishing fastest on the standside and through the driving rain did enough to in the final stages to pip early pace setter Splendida and The Dark Flasher.
The first two home were the only two in the field not carrying a unit in the jackpot.
The Mick Halford-trained, Class Society, got up on the line to win the concluding McDonagh Timber Handicap by one length, gifting 18 year-old apprentice jockey, Tadhg O`Shea, with the sixth winner of his career.
Crown Point is another who will return later in the week after trainer Declan Gillespie declared the neck winner of the Albatros Suregrass Handicap would line up in Sunday`s Western Cellular Handicap over an extended six furlongs.
Bookmaker figures were down slightly on last year with £1,412,409 bet today against £1,415,875 last year. The crowd attendance was also down with 18, 995 payingat the turnstiles compared with 20,500 last year.
