McManus off to a corker in Galway opener

Mee's Wise move yields Galway win

this was nothing to do with me - Michael (Mee, local owner) called this race after he fell in Punchestown (in May); I was going to Wexford for a beginners’ but Michael quite wisely said to wait for this race at Galway. Thankfully he did and Noel was brilliant on him; he did exactly the opposite thing to what we had agreed in the ring but plans are made to be broken! Shur wasn’t he right as he (Three Wise Men) was loving it; the plan was to ‘sit in’ a little bit but you don’t want to be tying these guys when a horse is jumping as well as he was and win lose or draw, he had done the right thing. He has a provisional entry in a handicap chase here on Sunday over course and distance and I’ll see what the Mees want to do. We’ll see how he is but he also has plenty nice options coming up. I’m delighted and delighted to get one for the Mees here - I know its a big week for them and they are great supporters of the festival.

Murphy targets Debutante with Shekiba

she is entered in the Debutante (Stakes, at the Curragh later this month) and that will be her next run. She is a very tough, genuine filly and it looked a good race. We started her off at six (furlongs) and went to seven and she’ll probably be a miler as a three year old. That is a nice filly to have and I think she’s good; she’s definitely a Group filly.

McNamara trains first Galway festival winner

Mullins sees the Light in Galway feature

he got a superb ride from Declan (McDonogh); Ruby (Walsh) advised him to get there late and ride for luck and he pulled it off perfectly. It was a big decision by my father to drop him back to a mile but he has always shown us a lot of speed at home and probably hasn’t stayed over hurdles. It’s good he is finally fulfilling what he shows us at home. It looks the trip for him and while I’d never try and second-guess my father, he might stick at what he’s good at at the minute. He’s by Raven’s Pass and maybe a mile is his trip.

Fahey's 'good summer' gets better

it's great to come here and win with him - we’re after having a good summer and I'd say a Galway winner is worth the whole lot of them. He probably wants a little bit further as he was flat out early on and only came to himself coming down the hill. It was a very tight handicap here and he was the right side of the weights. Hopefully he can go on and he'll end up mixing it over hurdles next season. He has a couple of entries but he won't run here again. I’m delighted for the owners, the Howards from Dublin, and Tom Keane, who picked out the horse when we bought him.

Knockmaole completes hat-trick for Elliott

he’s a grand horse and has done us proud this year. He didn’t cost a whole lot and we’re having loads of fun with him. He probably isn’t an out-and-out two miler (over hurdles), he only just gets home and we might run him later in the week; we’ll run him all being well.