Galileo's Choice forges clear at Leopardstown under Pat Smullen© Photo Healy Racing
If it’s the Listed Challenge Stakes at Leopardstown then it must be a Dermot Weld-trained winner and so it proved as Galileo’s Choice kept on best to justify 6/5 favouritism in the hands of Pat Smullen.
Remarkably this was Weld’s fifth consecutive win in this one mile six furlong race. It’s no wonder punters latched on to Galileo’s Choice – 11/4 in the morning, opened at 7/4 on course and was supported down to 6/5.
The Group 3 winner proved up to the job on the soft ground beating Aklan (4/1) by two lengths in the six-runner contest.
There are some big races on the agenda as Dermot Weld confirmed. He said: “It’s a pleasing comeback. It’s nice to win a stakes race for the fifth consecutive year.
“We can pick his races for the second part of the year now. The Irish St Leger is his major target. He’ll maybe get one run before that as he likes to be fresh.
“He’ll get an entry for the Melbourne Cup and we’ll play it by ear.”
Michael Graham (on course reporting by Gary Carson)
