In-form Cleary grabs Galway spotlight
Star apprentice Rory Cleary followed up Tuesday night’s McDonogh Handicap success when landing another nice pot in the €70,000 Guinness Handicap at Galway tonight.
Cleary produced High Priestess (5-1) to challenge over a furlong out in the mile-and-a-half contest and the mare stayed on well to head long-time leader Former Senator inside the final 200 yards for a length-and-a-half success.
The winner had finished fourth in the GPT Handicap at the track on Monday night when partnered by Dennis Cullen, who is assistant to winning trainer Michael O’Brien.
“She gave me a great spin on Monday but was a bit rusty as she hadn’t run since Christmas. That left her spot on. She won here last year so there was no doubt about her coming up the hill,” said Cullen.
David Casey conjured a terrific late run out of Stage Affair as the pair came from behind to take the Tony O’Malley Memorial Handicap Chase.
An incident-packed contest saw favourite Wouldn’t You Agree fall at the first, badly hampering the eventual winner. Again An Again went at the second, while City Hall parted company with John Cullen at the fourth.
Stage Affair (7-1) still had plenty to do turning for home but showed admirable tenacity to get up close home and beat Green Finger by a length and a half.
“David gave him a lovely ride. There were a lot of casualties out there. He ran a good race here on Tuesday (when third),” said winning trainer Dermot Weld afterwards.
Aidan O’Brien and Jamie Spencer teamed up with Starrystarrynight (7-1) in the Smirnoff Black Ice Maiden as the daughter of Sadler’s Wells left her debut run well behind to score by three lengths from 50-1 shot Sloats Burg.
Mr Jayjay (7-2 favourite) recorded his third victory in four starts when running out an impressive five-length winner of the Smirnoff Ice Handicap under Tadhg O’Shea.
Swiss Roll (7-2) scored by the narrowest of margins in the Harp Lager Race after getting the better of Sandy Owen close home, while Pease Blossom (20-1) emerged on top in the 21-runner Carlsberg Lager Handicap Hurdle.
A massive crowd packed into Ballybrit, with the gates up over 3,000 on last year at 28,654. The total was a thousand more than watched the Galway Plate on Wednesday.
