Racing start for ‘gaffer’ in Galway

Galway Plate Day always brings a bit of showbiz to the West, with elder statesmen and football royalty mixing it with Joe Public in the parade ring.

If it’s not a handshake with a celebrity that gets people running in Ballybrit, it’s the weather and despite two days of glorious sunshine, yesterday brought something a little more traditional to the West — rain.

It didn’t stop people flocking to the Ladbrokes pitch in the parade ring where none other than Ireland manager, Martin, the gaffer, O’Neill was checking out the odds. There was no sign of Roy, but Martin is probably a little less intimidating for your average racegoer. It was the Ireland manager’s first time in Galway, but he did have a share in a horse which won on the Ballybrit turf some years ago.