Racing:Dermot Weld's love affair with Ballybrit continued on the opening day of the Galway Festival as he completed a quickfire double. Ghimaar defied top-weight to land the day's biggest prize while Stunning View was also in the winner's enclosure for Weld.
The master of Rosewell House had won the last two renewals of the valuable Carlton Galway City Handicap but Ghimaar looked up against it having failed to get his head in front since this day 12 months ago, when he had scored in a 12-furlong handicap.
Ghimaar appeared to have plenty on his plate under the burden of top-weight but he travelled ominously well throughout under Robbie McNamara and was not hard pressed to come home two and a half lengths clear of Evening Rushour.
Weld, winning the race for the third year in a row, said: “He was the class horse but the weight was my worry. The slower they went the better it suited us and Robbie had him beautifully positioned.
“The ground was definitely a bit slower than he would have liked.”
The trainer did mention the Ebor at York as a possible target for the four-year-old but he does not hold an entry in the Knavesmire contest.
Weld had earlier struck with Stunning View, who justified cramped odds in the radissonhotelglaway.com (C&G) European Breeders Fund Maiden.
Ridden by stable jockey Pat Smullen, the 4-9 favourite always moved with menace and pulled clear in the closing stages to score by three lengths from Banyan Tree.
“He did it as we expected and thought he would do it. He’s a very nice colt and we’ve a lot to look forward to and we won’t be rushing him,” Weld continued.
“It was very good maiden he ran in at the Curragh first time. We have him entered in the Goffs Million and the National Stakes and those are likely to be his next two races.”
Weld’s Gratified was narrowly denied in the ghotel.ie & hotelmeyrick.ie Novice Hurdle by John O’Shea’s Moonlight Sapphire.
O’Shea said of the 6-1 chance: “We were hoping first-time blinkers would sharpen her up and the soft ground was a help.
“We’ve not got to the bottom of her stamina-wise yet. We may come back here on Saturday for a two-mile handicap on the Flat.”
The Jessica Harrington-trained No One Tells Me (9-2) showed a tenacious attitude when battling to victory in the galwaybayhotel.com Handicap Hurdle, the first leg of a double on the card for the trainer.
Harrington said: “The ground was a big worry but I couldn’t believe how well she was travelling. She won at Punchestown and to come back and win at Galway is great.
“We may see her out again during the week as she’s in such good old form.”
Harrington later hit the bullseye with Mosstown who knuckled down well under Shane Foley to hold off Not Til Monday in the hotelmeyrick.ie & ghotel.ie Handicap.
Liam McAteer and Danny Mullins combined to win the claregalwayhotel.ie Handicap with 9-1 shot Tellelle, while local trainer Paul Gilligan struck gold in the concluding irelandhotels.com INH Flat Race with Honours Graduate (8-1).
Results
5.10 ghotel.ie & hotelmeyrick.ie Novice Hurdle
1st Moonlight Sapphire 6/1
2nd Gratified 7/2
3rd Vivaldi 20/1
4th Wikaala 6/1
5.45 galwaybayhotel.com Handicap Hurdle
1st No One Tells Me 9/2fav
2nd Right Or Wrong 12/1
3rd Good Old Thyme 12/1
4th Golden Grimshaw 50/1
6.20 radissonhotelgalway.com (C&G) EBF M'dn
1st Stunning View 4/9fav
2nd Banyan Tree 7/2
3rd Zayaan 7/1
4th Maverick Man 10/1
7.00 carlton.ie/galwaycity (QR) Handicap
1st Ghimaar 10/1
2nd Evening Rushour 20/1
3rd Mountain Snow 20/1
4th Jump For You 33/1
7.35 claregalwayhotel.ie Handicap
1st Tellelle 9/1
2nd Out Of Honour 7/1
3rd Spavento 5/1
4th Carygali 20/1
8.10 hotelmeyrick.ie & ghotel.ie Handicap
1st Mosstown 7/1
2nd Not Til Monday 10/1
3rd Rory Anna 25/1
4th The Pier 10/1