Diplomat the perfect start for Weld in Galway opener

Diplomat got followers of Dermot Weld and Ruby Walsh off to the perfect start at Galway as the odds-on favourite recorded a comfortable success in the galwaybayhotel.com Novice Hurdle, the opening event of the 2013 festival.

Sent off the 9-10 market leader, the four-year-old – who once beat current Champion Hurdle favourite Our Conor on the Flat – was produced with a double handful by Walsh on jumping the second-last.