Premier Trainers to the fore at Galway

Paddy Twomey landed another two-year-old success as Purple Lily made a winning debut in the seven-furlong fillies’ maiden on the second day of the Galway festival on Tuesday.

Owned by the Zinlo Syndicate, the Billy Lee-ridden favourite came with a late run to deny the Dermot Weld-trained Tannola, by a neck.

Trainer Andy Slattery and jockey Cian Horgan scored a far easier success as Bells On Her Toes added to a recent Naas win in the seven-furlong handicap. The favourite headed Pat Murphy’s front-runner Free Solo at the furlong-pole and stretched clear to win by three lengths in the colours of her owner/breeder Eithne Thompson.

There were two 66/1 winners on successive days at the Galway festival in 2016 and Clonmel trainer John Nallen landed only the third winner at that price at the festival since the turn of the century as Minella Mate took the 12-furlong amateur riders’ maiden on Wednesday.

The five-year-old only got into the race at the eleventh hour as the second reserve and he certainly made the most of the late opportunity when beating Joseph O'Brien’s odds-on favourite Up And Under, fifth in the Irish Derby on his previous start, by a comfortable length and three-parts.

Paddy Twomey and Billy Lee combined for a second festival success as the three-year-old Countess Of Tyrone made a winning debut in the 12-furlong fillies’ maiden at Galway on Friday. Owned and bred by Robert Moran, the favourite impressed with a three and a quarter-length win over the Joseph O'Brien-trained Delicate Girl.

Paddington’s success at Goodwood early in the week was the highlight of Aidan O'Brien’s week and he added to that Group 1 success with two juvenile winners at Galway on Saturday.

Both horses were ridden by Seamie Heffernan who had an easy time of things as odds-on favourite Navy Seal beat Joseph O'Brien’s Bad Desire by two and three-parts of a length in the eight-furlong maiden but who had to work a little harder as Portland beat the David Marnane-trained Jakajaro by a length in the seven-furlong nursery handicap.

Fethard trainer Joe Murphy took the 12-furlong handicap with the Gary Carroll-ridden Mon Coeur. A runner-up on each of his previous four starts, the seven-year-old gained a deserved success as he beat the Ciaran Murphy-trained Granville Street by a length and a half.

Toomevara jockey Conor Clarke landed the opportunity handicap hurdle for the second year running on the Emmet Mullins-trained Teed Up at Galway on Sunday. The Annette Mee-owned six-year-old added to his win in the big Connacht Hotel Handicap on Monday evening as he raced to a comfortable three and a half-length success over the Adrian Murray-trained Gold Speed. Remarkably, he was sent off at odds of 4/6 favourite, the same price as he was when he won the same race twelve months ago.

Figures released by Galway racecourse showed an overall attendance of 122,362 across the seven days of the 2023 festival, an increase of over 5,600 on last year. Attendances were up on each day of the festival, with the exception of Friday.

Upcoming Meetings

Sligo – Wednesday, August 9 (First Race 5.05pm)

Sligo – Thursday, August 10 (First Race 5.05pm)

Tipperary – Friday, August 11 (First Race 4.45pm)

Wexford – Friday, August 11 (First Race 4.55pm)

Curragh – Saturday, August 12 (First Race 1.40pm)

Kilbeggan – Saturday, August 12 (First Race 5.25pm)

Downpatrick – Sunday, August 13 (First Race 2.10pm)

Curragh – Sunday, August 13 (First Race 2.20pm)