Results Galway Wed, 28th Jul, 2021

Poignant win for Crawley-trained mare in opener

The (Who What Why) syndicate aren't here today as one of the members Michael Griffin buried his mother Mae Griffin this morning. They saw her work last week and said 'let her run, it'll be all for luck', so it was a very special win and it's an emotional day for all of them. Michael is from Dublin and it is a Dublin syndicate.

Annie G too good for the geldings in Listed novice

She was really good, is a lovely mare who is progressing all the time. Darragh was really good on her, I didn't think he was going fast enough early on and next thing they were all struggling behind her - he was brilliant on her. She doesn't have to go from the front but it suits us in a novice hurdle. Today she didn't jump so well and was a bit disappointing (jumping-wise) and Darragh said she was on her wrong lead all the time. We had a suspicion she was better left-handed than right-handed but we got away with it and there are plenty nice left-handed tracks. She has a full novice hurdle season ahead of her and her half-brother (Westerner Point) was a good chaser. She is a really exciting mare and fair play to the lads, they have been very patient.

Fitzgerald gets a Galway winner on Desir Du Large

Mullins & Townend win Galway Plate with Royal Rendezvous

Coming home from here last year we said to ourselves we'd make this the plan again. The horse just seemed to come into tremendous form in the last three weeks. I was really pleased with him and you could even see it in him before the race. The dapples in his coat, he was like a horse getting ready for the Dublin Horse Show rather than coming here. He just looked a picture for the last three weeks at home and I was counting down the days and hoping we might have a bit of luck. It all worked out. I thought he got away in the right position and then I wondered if he was too free. He was jumping fantastically. He absolutely flew the fence past the stands and just got racing again with a circuit to race and I wondered if he was just doing a bit too much too soon, but his jumping just kept him in the game. Paul said his jumping kept gaining him a length or two over his fences and he was able to pull him back and get a breath of air into him after each one so he had enough in reserve. Last year he was just unlucky, he got knocked down on the bend coming up the hill. He was rated 7lb higher this year but he's improving. He's a late developer. Going right-handed is a help, but at one stage I didn't think he'd stay this sort of trip but the way he races now we could probably go further with him even. I'd imagine he will go up in grade now.

Great reception for local winner Shanwalla

It's our home town, my son has ridden him and he is half-owned by Natalie (wife) and a good crew of people and a few from around town. This is where you want to win and it was a fantastic ride by Jack. Jack had a winner here at the October meeting and this is his first festival win. Everything is down to the young lads at home and their friends who come in riding out. Ollie is 13, rides him every day, led him around today and when we worked the horse last week, he said the horse was buzzing!. It cannot be done without them. My Dad is here today, Mam is at home probably watching the re-runs and it's Dad's first time at the races in a while; this is what it's all about. The horse is out of a full-sister to Berties Dream who won at Cheltenham for us and we bred him ourselves between Natalie and Tony Kilkenny. This is magic.

Abbey Magic wins for de Bromhead & Flanagan

Mullins doubles up in mares' bumper

Brace for Joseph as Hamilton scores in 4-year-old bumper