Punters, not the hurlers, take the beating

The Galway Plate normally brings out depressed Tribesmen hurlers, but it was the punters that took the beating yesterday.

Galway star Joe Canning was given the honour of presenting the famous Plate to JP McManus as Bob Lingo took the big race of the day. In a blow to the punters as we reach the halfway mark, the 16-1 long shot cost them about €500,000.

Not that it bothered Joe much. As the man himself admitted, usually a trip to Ballybrit is a tonic for another year of disappointment but, after beating the supposedly unbeatable Kilkenny, he was wearing a far happier look than usual.