Galway Races:Joseph O'Brien gave further evidence he has rapidly developed into a smart young rider with a fine effort from the front on Robin Hood for his father Aidan in the claregalwayhotel.ie (C & G) EBF Maiden at Galway.
The 9-4 chance was strongly pressed by Tashqeel throughout the final furlongs, but O’Brien’s 7lb claim again looked great value as he hung on for victory by three-quarters of a length.
The winner’s stablemate Alexander Pope was the same distance away in third.
O’Brien junior said: “That’s my first ride here at the festival and it’s great to get a winner.
“I knew my horse stayed very well, I walked the track and I was happy to bounce out and go myself.
“He was idling in front and when they came for me he quickened up, they were never really going to go by him and he did it well in the end.
“He keeps improving, he’ll hopefully stay further and be better on better ground.”
A winner just once previously, Admiral Barry (10-1) hit the jackpot with victory for Eoin Griffin in the carlton.ie/galwaycity (Q.R) Handicap, the feature event on day one of the week-long fixture.
Mikey Fogarty’s mount did battle with gallant top weight Mount Helcion off the home bend and in the end there was a length and a quarter between them at the line.
Ballyhaunis was sent off the 11-2 favourite for the richly-endowed handicap but had to settle for third, with Star Wood fourth.
Griffin said: “We always thought a lot of him but, to be honest, he was becoming a big disappointment for us, having shown good form as a two-year-old.
“He never took to hurdling, seemed to hate jumping and we were beginning to run out of time with him so we decided recently to do the direct opposite with him.
“We left off the cheekpieces and blinkers, trained him from a field, where he now lives with a mare who seems to have a completely changed his life — love is a funny thing!”
He added: “Mikey gave him a super ride and we may bring the horse back for a Premier handicap here on Thursday depending on how he comes out of this race.
“I won’t rule out going back hurdling with him again but not for the time being.”
Force Of Habit was an aptly-named winner of the Meyrick.ie & ghotel.ie Novice Hurdlefor the undisputed master of Ballybrit, Dermot Weld.
The Rosewell House trainer has an astonishing record at here and got off the mark for 2010 at the first time of asking.
Sent off at 5-1 on the back of a win on the Flat at Fairyhouse, Force Of Habit travelled strongly under Paul Townend but looked like having to settle for minor honours when Hail Caesar struck on turning for home.
However, Townend was in determined mood and Force Of Habit gradually wore down his rival to score by three-quarters of a length.
Weld, in search of his 26th leading trainer award at the big meeting, said of the versatile four-year-old: “Force Of Habit is a tough horse, but I was a little concerned about there being too much of a give in the ground for him — the ground must not be too bad.
“Paul gave him a very good ride and the horse will run again later in the week, in either the mile-and-a-half handicap on Thursday or the two-mile handicap on Sunday.”
Kalellshan was cut for the Galway Hurdle on Thursday after making all the running in the jurysinn.com Handicap Hurdle.
On just his second ride back since returning from injury, Davy Russell was seen at his best on the Charles Byrnes-trained seven-year-old (8-1) as they held the determined challenge of Total Excitement from the last by a length and a half.
William Hill go 20-1 from 33s about the winner for the big event later in the week, while at the same time trimming the runner-up to the same price from 25s.
Byrnes said: “Kalellshan kept pulling out a little bit more when he needed to and the secret to him is to ride him from the front. He is in later in the week, but may not run as he may have too much weight.”
Russell said: “The crowd is great here, it’s one of the places you love to come to. Everyone loves a winner at Galway.”