Mexicali Rose blooms brightest at Galway

Some cheer for punters as three favourites win on second day of Galway Festival

Tue, 30 Jul, 2024 - 21:22

Tommy Lyons, Ballybrit

Punters were, largely, out of luck on the opening day of the Galway festival but there was plenty of reason for cheer on Tuesday as three favourites obliged.

However, that wasn’t the case in the feature, the ultra-competitive Colm Quinn BMW Mile Handicap, as victory went to 12-1 chance Mexicali Rose, who gave young rider Wayne Hassett the biggest success of his career.

Trained by Joseph O’Brien, whose team has struck form in recent weeks, she was slowly into stride, but 18-year-old Hassett, from Killenaule, did a great job of getting her into a good position on the rails and just behind the pace.

There wasn’t a fast gallop, and she raced a touch keenly, but Hassett moved her out at the right time and brought her with a strong run to hit the front close home. Norwalk Havoc came with a threatening run, but the winner found more to keep him at bay.

“It’s brilliant to get it done, I’m over the moon,” said Hassett. “This is my second season (riding), I’ve been getting loads of opportunities, and if it wasn't for Joseph and Kevin (O’Ryan, agent) I probably wouldn’t have got the ride.

“She was a little bit hot in the stalls, in there a little bit too long, but she broke okay for me and I was able to get into a nice position the whole way round. They went a good gallop — the last day in Gowran they didn’t go hard enough but thank God they did today. She was still a little bit in my hands, but she settled coming up the hill, and I had a lot more horse under me than I thought I would. She did it well and will definitely improve from that.”

“It’s absolutely brilliant. It’s one of the biggest races of the week, so thank God I got it done. Usually when you pass the winning line on a big day, you wouldn’t hear the crowd, but I certainly heard the crowd today – there’s a brilliant atmosphere.”

The Colm Quinn BMW Irish EBF Fillies Maiden has been won by some top-class sorts, including, in the last six years, subsequent Guineas winners Tahiyra and Hermosa. While Bubbling, winner of Tuesday’s running of the race, has a long way to go to scale those heights, she certainly impressed in sprinting away from her rivals and will be given every chance to climb the grading ladder.

Aidan O’Brien’s filly, who made a pleasing debut behind stablemate Exactly, showed the benefit as she took over from the front-running Abazaami early in the straight, and quickened most impressively to put five lengths between herself and well-backed newcomer Lady Mairen, who got up to deny the long-time leader second place.

“Wayne gave her a lovely ride,” said stable representative Chris Armstrong. “Obviously, she had an eye-catching run the last day in Leopardstown and the form has obviously working out well with Exactly running a lovely race there last week in the Group race.

“She's a typical No Nay Never: lots of natural pace, and she travelled lovely in behind the leaders. When you look back through the roll of honour of all the Galway, it’s a great track for educating horses. You need a proper one to win here.

“She's bang in the mix for the Debutante Stakes and all those good seven-furlong fillies’ races.”

Willie Mullins and Tony Mullins were on the mark on Monday and, not to be outdone, Tom Mullins completed the family treble when Lucky Out justified heavy support in the Caulfield Industrial Irish EBF Maiden. A little keen but never far off the pace, she quickened away up the straight to run out a ready winner under Seamie Heffernan.

Thecompanysergeant gained a much deserved first victory over fences when taking the Latin Quarter Beginners’ Chase for Denis Hogan and Rachael Blackmore. The heavily backed 6-4 favourite, who finished a fine fourth to Spillane’s Tower in a Grade One at Fairyhouse, benefited from a well-timed ride by Blackmore, who delivered him to lead close home.

Adrian Keatley, who upped sticks and moved from Ireland to further his training career in North Yorkshire, made a successful raid of home turf when Gale Mahler took the opening race, the listed Colm Quinn BMW Novice Hurdle. His five-year-old mare, who began a winning run in early May, came here with five consecutive victories on her card, and number six proved to be the easiest of all as she led going to the last and raced away under Henry Brooke to win by ten lengths.

Not to be outdone, another North Yorkshire-based trainer, Co Louth native Richard Fahey, took the caulfieldindustrial.com Handicap with the Oisin Orr-ridden Reidh. A runaway winner of his final run before the journey to Ballybrit, he found plenty of trouble in running on this occasion but got out in the nick of time to snatch victory from Excuzio Joe.

Mark Fahey is a shrewd operator and there was further evidence of that in the finale, the Caulfield Industrial Handicap, as he saddled Clear Quartz to win the race for the second time, two years on from his previous victory. The seven-year-old, who seldom runs a bad race at this track, travelled sweetly into the dip, took up the running halfway up the straight, and ran out a comfortable winner. Three places behind was Pillar Of Hope, who picked up the each-way part of an old-fashioned gamble which saw his odds tumble from 40-1 to 7-1.

* Tuesday’s crowd figure was 13,680, which, like Monday’s, was up on the same day the previous year (13,516).