Local Trainer Doubles Up At Galway On Saturday Local trainer Val O'Brien had a memorable opening to Galway's penultimate day of their record-breaking Summer Festival when taking the first two races on the card in front of another impressive turnout of 18,261 patrons. O'Brien, from just out the road in Athenry, started the ball rolling when his easy-to-back 16/1 shot, Gerranjo, made most of the running to land the opening Jockeys Association Maiden Hurdle. A first ever winner for her 19-year-old Claregalway-born jockey, Michael Fahy, the Beneficial filly kept on best in the closing stages to beat Irish Stream by two lengths. A delighted O'Brien, who trains the six-year-old for his wife, Bernadette, declared: 'It's always nice to have a winner here and she stayed on well. We might go to Tralee for a winners' race, or come back here in the September if there's a suitable race for her.' Just 35 minutes later the O'Brien double was completed as Galway regular, Half Barrell, belied his 14-years of age when putting up a gutsy performance to land the Low Low Galway Blazers Handicap Chase. Ridden by Niall Madden, the 16/1 outsider showed all the right qualities in the closing stages to see of the persistent challenge of Life's A Flyer by two lengths. Winning for a remarkable sixth time at the Festival ? five officially, having lost one in the stewards' room ? Half Barrell has been a great servant, as his owner/trainer readily acknowledged. He said: 'He's a real Galway horse in every sense of the word and he's been good to me over the years. I fancied him after his run when third at Sligo over hurdles recently. We might take him to Tralee, or come back here in September. Willie Mullins and Ruby Walsh combined to land the featured Freshways Handicap Hurdle with 100/30 shot, Diego Garcia. Successful in a flat handicap here on Tuesday, the son of Sir Pekan had to endure an anxious moment when momentarily squeezed for room off the home turn. Once the split came however, Walsh, who was recording his fifth success of the meeting, forced his mount up to beat the Paul Carberry-ridden, Tasman, by three parts of a length. Mullins reported: 'Obviously he's loves this place. He's been a different horse since he's gotten the sun on his back. We'll target a race here for him in September and you can expect to see him here at next year's festival all going well.' Mullins went on to complete a double when his 9/2 newcomer, Drumderry, came from off the pace to claim the concluding bumper. Katie Walsh's mount was lucky to escape a four-horse pile-up in the dip before sprinting clear on the run-in to beat Rossini Rose (Kevin Power) by nine lengths. Waterford trainer Pat Flynn and his stable jockey Danny Grant combined to land their third success of the week as the Alexander Stafford-owned 11/2 shot, Always The Groom, defeated Baileysunice by two lengths in the two-mile Cheesestrings Handicap. Flynn wasn't present, but his travelling head-lad, Martin Maguire observed: 'That was good. He's in again at Cork tomorrow and he'll definitely run, if he's okay in the morning.' Top-weight, Hammers Boy, came late and fast under Billy Lee to pip long time leader, Howya Now Kid (Johnny Murtagh), by half a length in the seven-furlong Irish Stallion Farms European Breeders Fund Premier Nursery. Owned by the Hammersboy-I.R.S.com Syndicate, a group that includes West Ham footballer Teddy Sheringham, the 3/1 favourite is trained in Tipperary by Tommy Stack. Stacks' son and assistant, James, explained: 'Most of his owners aren't here; they are on a pre-season training trip to Greece. He was good there and Tralee will be his next stop.' The market for the Dawn Juice European Breeders Fund Maiden suggested Dermot Weld's, Blue Coral, was a good thing and that proved the case when the Pat Smullen- partnered 4/7 shot made all for a comfortable success. Always in command, the Grand Lodge colt had three and a half lengths to spare at the line over his main market-rival, Abide With Me. Weld, who is well on his way to leading trainer at the fixture with six wins, commented: 'We've won the three two-year-old races here this week and it's been ten years since we did that. He won well and he's owned by a syndicate that includes Don Keough, Chairman of Coca Cola worldwide. I'm glad he was here today to lead in the winner, the Goffs Million at the Curragh is an obvious target for him now.' Attendance 2006: 18,2612005: 19, 265 Tote 2006: ?637,7482005: ?711,631 Bookmakers2006: ?2,017,6532005: ?2,234,952
