Going - NH: Good Flat: Good to Yielding. Fine
Jackpot Pool - 20,849.20 Dividend - 14,594.70 Winning Units - .02. Partial Carry Over of 20,353.17 to Galway on Friday 29th July. Placepot Pool - 55,033.53 Dividend - 735.80 Winning Units - 52.35. Days Aggregate - 941,684.75 Last Year 226,364.00
Mullins strikes again in day four opener
O'Regan shines on Grade 3 winner Visionarian
Galway is a great place and it's been lucky for us. To win a graded race is great but I got more of a thrill for Basil (Holian, owner) who is a great supporter of the yard. To have a winner here for him is brilliant. It was very competitive and a lot of them had high marks over hurdles but we always thought our lad would be better over a fence and he's starting to prove that. He looked a slow jumper over hurdles but we schooled him once over fences and he was electric. Jamie Codd picked him out at the sales over in Cheltenham for Basil and Colin Bowe always said 'wait till you see him jumping a fence'. You could see today he's rapid over them. This was the plan, we were keen to get a run into him over fences and then come here.
Fahey doubles up for owner Basil Holian
It couldn't have worked out any better. He's a horse that always runs a good race and last year the ground was just too quick for him and he didn't perform,. I think he's a horse that will improve from that and he could end up getting into some of the nicer premier handicaps as the year goes on. That's as quick as he wants the ground and as the ground gets slower later in the year you'll see a better horse. Declan gave him a great ride, he was very strong on him at the end. A double is unbelievable and to get it for Basil as well makes it even more special. I have to thank the lads in the yard as well who put in so much hard work.
Poignant win for Surrounding
She's amazing. Her enthusiasm for it and her soundness is incredible,. We've been having a very quiet year, the horses are healthy but we just didn't have that many. When I looked at the race, and she was drawn four, I thought she'd run her usual good race. Her owner unfortunately passed away during the night and I'd say she got a bit of help from somewhere. With the jockey getting a fall she got carried wide by the loose horse. I thought she was beat when Dermot's filly shot up the rail but she rallied again. Ronan gave her a great ride and she's all heart. I hope it helps lift the spirits of the Newell family a bit because Peter was a great supporter of ours and she's the best animal they bred in all their years breeding. She's very special to them and we'll have to mind her and put her first at all times. She had a great run the last day in Fairyhouse when the ground was probably a little bit faster than ideal for her. I thought the stiffer track would suit her. She's won here before and loves that hill, she just takes it on and is so game. It wasn't the biggest surprise in the world but when you're having the season we are having you need something just to change your luck. She's just incredible. We brought her back this year and they just said to me to see if I was happy with her. She was showing me all the right vibes at home. I ran her in Gowran, she finished fourth and showed she still wanted to do it. We said we'd pick a couple of races and thank God it worked out.
Russell gets a tune out of Salvador Ziggy
Davy is great, he's getting on in years now so we are kind of minding him and picking and choosing what we put him on. He's a great jockey and I'm very lucky to be in the position I am to have all the jockeys I have. Russell is 43 or 44 years of age now but he's like good wine, he's getting better as he gets on. He's not going to ride much this year, we'll pick and choose what to put him on, but on the big day there is no-one better.
Second Galway Hurdle for ten-year-old Tudor City
We had a few great days here and this lad won it a few years ago and prior to that we won it with Quick Jack and Thomas Edison,. These are the races you love to win and target them a while out. Fortunately enough it has worked out for us a few times. It's a great place to be, it's great to be here and great to have the ammunition. I met John in America in 1985, he's a great friend of my father's and he's looked after me since I was a nipper. Himself and his wife Debbie are two great people. We joined up in 2000. At that time he only came home for Galway and Leopardstown so you'd try and have the horses for those meetings, whenever he'd be home. He's been home for the last couple of years and it makes it a little easier as we can go wherever we have to go with them but the likes of this race is always a target from a long way out. It's gone so competitive but fortunately enough I have a few good men behind me still. If we get a few nice horses hopefully we can do the job with them. You could see a while ago that the horse was beginning to come to himself. He was coming in his coat, his skin, and you could see he was in rude health. We tried to have him as good as we could for today and it showed beforehand in the ring. He was mad alive and bold and active. He was getting a little warm which was a great sign and luckily enough he delivered. He seems to peak this time of year and his best runs are here. He handles the place and likes it obviously. It was an incredible ride, a ri
Star springs 40/1 surprise
She won as a two-year-old but only ran well once or twice last year before trailing off,. This is only her third run this year, I thought the last day at Limerick she'd run well but Niall (McCullagh) said the ground was too firm and she wouldn't let herself down. I was hoping that I hadn't lost my touch because I thought she'd run well today. She's down in the handicap and had a real top apprentice on her back today. She just needed a bit of luck in running and I fancied her but all my horses were giving last to no-one there for a long time. It's just been things not working out, like her not letting herself down the last day. I didn't want to go over a mile-and-a-half with her but it was the only race she could get into at Galway. I had to come here for the nice ground. Hopefully she can keep improving for the rest of the season but it's a winner in Galway and if she does that once a year it's job done.
Mullins doubles up as What Path lands the bumper
It's just taken him a while to learn how to race. He looks like a typical Coastal Path, a nice galloper and he likes good ground. He jumps well at home,. It's nice for Michael (Masterson), he was 30 years coming to Galway and never had a winner and that's now two in the one week after the horse yesterday (Champ Kiely). This fella looks like he'll make a nice chaser in time. He has size, scope and goes on nice ground. He could be a horse to come back here for a Plate in the future.