Rain can’t dampen spirits on day one of Galway races
It’s a marathon not a sprint in the west. You don’t just have to survive the racecourse, you then have to survive the city in full party mode. It’s not easy but someone has to do it.
Luckily, this journalist has been doing it year in, year out. You learn some tips along the way but the main advice is to prepare for inclement weather.
Some years are better than others for the rain but 2016 is already being tipped as a wet one. And wet in Galway means really wet. Luckily, us westerners are well used to it. While, we may not embrace it, a drop of rain doesn’t stop the fun times from arriving Corribside.
Originally chalked up as a 6/4 shot by Ladbrokes, it’s now odds-on at 4/6 the puddles will get a top-up each day.
Judging by the very healthy crowd yesterday, the Galway Races are showing no sign of losing their lustre. Although it was wet, it was the usual vibe of hardcore racing with a party atmosphere.
It’s been a good few days for the Galway hurlers but a few faces around Ballybrit yesterday was sure to bring back some painful memories.
Kilkenny stars Richie Power, John Tennyson, Tommy Walsh, and JJ Delaney had a puck around in the parade ring with two-time National Hunt champion jockey Davy Russell to launch the Hurling for Cancer Research Charity match in Newbridge next month. Now in its fifth year, the event has raised €400,000 to date and aims to raise a further €100,000 this year.
For once, Power felt he could let his hair down in Galway, having retired from the game. “I’m only here for the day but I can have as many drinks as I want since I’m retired,” he says.
“This is my first time here because it usually falls in between the quarter-final and the semi-final so we’re usually training hard. But if any of the lads wanted to come down for the day I’m sure they could, without a drink of course.”
As for his pick for the Liam McCarthy cup this year, Power wasn’t looking for past his home county. “I think every team is beatable but at this point it’s hard to look past a Kilkenny and Tipperary final. If Waterford could get goals into their game they’d be a threat,” he says.
Russell hit the nail on the head when describing what makes Galway so special for hundreds of thousands of punters every year.
“It’s great to be back in Galway again, although it’s very hard to ride a winner around here, there’s so many tough handicaps. I think most people come down for the social element more than the racing though,” he says.
As for the racing, Hayley O’Connor of Ladbrokes says the bookies enjoyed a pretty decent opening day.
“We didn’t have it all our way, but thankfully it was a case of one step back, two steps forward and so far, we’ve landed in front. It’s a long haul, and with a race for every week of the year, we won’t get too excited just yet. It was a busy first day in terms of business and we just hope we can navigate the high waters of the west as the week continues.,” she says.
Remember though, it’s a marathon, not a sprint.
Tuesday Sport
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