GALWAY RACES: Style gets soaking as Mick enjoys dream double
The Kanturk-based trainer was lifted shoulder high as he screamed “I’m on top of the world!” to the whole town who seemed to be in the parade ring going berserk.
Not only has he claimed the Hurdle two years running, last year’s winner Rebel Fitz was also a winner yesterday.
The colourful trainer is getting a reputation as a Galway Hurdle specialist for what is the richest handicap hurdle in either Britain or Ireland with a handsome pot of €260,000 in prize money.
For Mick, he never had any doubt that Missunited, ridden by Robert ‘Puppy’ Power, himself a Grand National winner, would do the business. Puppy himself only got the ride as Barry Geraghty jumped off to ride the favourite, Ted Veale.
“I’ll tell you, she was awesome in Leopardstown on good ground and she had great races done on soft ground. If she jumped today I thought she might do it,” he said.
Mick said he wasn’t ready for the celebrations of last year, but that he worked some free time into his schedule this year just in case he pulled off two in a row.
“Well, I suppose last year, I had to muck out 20 stables myself the following morning, so this year I am ready for it. I’ll put it this way to you, I have a good few people lined up to work in the morning but I don’t what’ll happen,” he said.
It took the Civil War to last stop racing at Galway, so three inches of rain and a flooded course was never going to call a halt to festivities.
Thursday is the day when the ladies get to go head to head for the coveted, Best Dressed Lady, but the luckiest people in Ballybrit yesterday were those kitted head to toe in Goretex, as thousands of soaked women were treated to a Galway washout.
From 12 midday on, the heavens opened and unleashed an extraordinary amount of water on Ballybrit. It took just half an hour for large areas of the track to flood, and it just kept on going for the rest of the day.
It didn’t stop the ladies dolling up for the day, and it was a river of fake tan all the way up Race Avenue, as some punters didn’t even bother with an umbrella or a coat. Some teenagers dispensed with shoes and just wandered around in their feet.
Luckily, those with an entrepreneurial bent were doing serious business in brollies for €5 a pop. Drenched women looked like they would re-mortgage their house for any device that would protect them in any way from the elements.
If you think the weather would deter Galway racegoers from punting, you’d be wrong. Traffic was chaotic to get to the course, while people were queuing in their droves in Eyre Square to get on a Ballybrit bound bus.
The big prize of Best Dressed Lady went to Rachelle Guiry, 29, from Newcastle West in Co Limerick. Wearing a powder-blue Ted Baker dress, she took home the prize of a one-carat diamond solitaire pendant valued at €8,500, a shopping spree worth €1,500 in Anthony Ryans, Galway and €1,000 in cash.
She also won a Lancôme presentation gift hamper worth over €600 and corporate hospitality package for the Galway Races October Bank Holiday racing festival.
Rachelle was stunned to have won, having never entered a Best Dressed competition before.
“I feel extremely honoured to have won, particularly as the standard was so high. I think we’ll have to stay down for the night tonight,” she said.
Winner of the Best Hat went to Alex Butler, a UCC student from Midleton in Cork. Designed by her local florist, Ina McCarthy, it was an enormous creation of 100 white roses, with one black one on top.
Irish international Stephen Hunt was one of the lucky ones that got to spend the day high up in the comfort of the stands. Celebrating his birthday with a group of friends, his sympathies definitely lay with the ladies.
“I’m disappointed for the ladies more than anything. It’s a shame, but I’m sure they all have natural tans today after the weather of the last few weeks. I’m sure none of it is running,” he said.
As for his celebrations, Stephen said he would not be partying too hard with the new football season around the corner.
“I should say I’m turning 30 but I’m actually 32. I’ll probably have a few drinks tonight but not too much as I am heading back to England next week,” he said.
Legendary racing pundit Ted Walsh really couldn’t see what all the fuss was about. He had a somewhat philosophical take on the weather.
“It’s dirty, its wet, its uncomfortable, but so is life. The problem is everyone is gone soft.”
Not in Kanturk they haven’t. The Alley Bar won’t close for a week.
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
