Glenroyal another well backed fav for winning connections

Joseph O’Brien and Dylan Browne McMonagle completed a double at Galway this afternoon as Glenroyal justified strong support in the Guinness 0.0 Handicap.

The Australia gelding appreciated this step up to 1m4f, leading approaching the home turn and soon taking control.

The 2/1 favourite kept on strongly inside the final furlong to beat Narlita by two lengths, with Garrick Painter a further four and a half lengths adrift in third and Daboya completing the places in fourth.

O’Brien said, “He has slowly been progressing over his last few runs and we thought the 1m4f would suit him.

"Ray (Grehan, owner) and his family are local so there's a fair chance the horse will come back here again tomorrow (for the 8.40pm race). They have a good bunch of friends here this week and we were unlucky to get nabbed yesterday with Shoda.

"As long as this horse is ok, eats up and trots up sound in the morning he'll be coming back tomorrow. The extra couple of furlongs will also suit him, as his brother Magellan Strait won the Cesarewitch for us and that family stay very well. Hopefully the best is yet to come."

O’Brien and McMonagle were earlier on the mark with 5/4 favourite Which Wolf Wins in the nursery, and the Donegal rider is now four clear (54-50) of Colin Keane in the Flat jockeys championship.

Additional reporting by Tom Weekes