Feud and Danny Mullins© Photo Healy Racing
The impeccably bred Feud added to a Listowel maiden last month when justifying good support in the opening race of the 2024 Galway Festival, the Galmont Hotel & Galway Bay Hotel Novice Hurdle.
The Richard O’Brien-trained gelding headed the front-running Macinamillion just before the final flight and kept on well on the run-in to beat Mordor by three and a half lengths. Pigeon House could find no extra a further six and a half lengths back in third.
The 16/5 winner was bred to win a classic being a Dubawi half-brother to this year’s Irish 1000 Guineas heroine Fallen Angel and was purchased for 46,000 guineas at the Newmarket Horses-In-Training Sale last October having won a Haydock handicap for Ralph Beckett.
O'Brien said, “I was saying to Danny afterwards that it's quite intriguing going forward as to what way he can go because that was quite impressive.
“The nerves beforehand, it wouldn't matter if it was a bumper in Ballinrobe I'd be under pressure. The last 48 hours have been hell but we're here and we're through it.
“I loved the way he did it and I loved the way he jumped. He was a bit fumbly and made a few mistakes in Listowel. I thought that might be still in him a bit but he was very clever.
“He jumped some of them beautifully and the ones he didn't he just kicked them out of the way and never missed a beat. He's a very interesting horse going forward.
“I'm delighted for the lads, it's important to emphasise the importance of them to me. I've never got a chance to buy a horse like this.
“We'll explore his ceiling over hurdles and if it's a case that he comes back to being a lovely dual-purpose horse we'll see. I'm not thinking about that, we'll go home and make a plan.
“Beforehand I said we're either going to Listowel for the Lartigue or else the Royal Bond. The dream has come true, for now.”
Winning rider Danny Mullins said, “He clipped the odd one but was still fast at getting from A to B. He had decent Flat form, but his pedigree suggested there might be more to come.
“He’s often lazy at home but is starting to put it together on the track.
“Down in the dip I asked to see if there was a little more there. He got back on the bridle and even turning for home I was able to sit for that bit longer.
“A good jump at the last and he probably had a bit of a look at the crowd but ran out a convincing winner nonetheless.”
“It’s beautiful ground, a credit to Galway. It’s good ground, not any slower than that, but you’d be struggling to complain about the ground. They have done a great job with it.”
Quotes by Gary Carson
