Straight forward for Hubrisko in opener Hubrisko justified his short price with a convincing success in the opener at Galway this afternoon. The Willie Mullins-trained gelding had been second at the festival meeting here in late July and went to post a 4/9 shot to go one better this afternoon. Paul Townend tracked the front-running Tom Kelly in the two-miler before letting his mount hit the front before the second last. The Doctor Dino gelding travelled strongly in the lead turning for home and galloped on well when asked for an effort on the run-in, posting a eight-and-a-half length win over Royal Romeo. Townend, “That couldn’t have gone any better. I got a lovely lead and he jumped great and he likes that nice ground. “We didn’t go over quick and he quickened again up the hill which is a good sign. “On paper a reproduction of his Galway Festival form was going to be good enough and he’s backed that up.” Townend only returned from a thumb injury, sustained at the festival meeting, at Kilbeggan on Friday: “I didn’t think at the time I would be out for this long. I went to a specialist in Dublin and they had plenty of looking at it. “It’s healed very well and it’s nice to be back.” There was a minute silence before the first race and jockeys are wearing red armbands today symbolising the de Bromhead family colours. (Quotes by Alan Magee)
