Going - N.H.: Good. Flat: good, good to yielding in places. Fine and warm
Jackpot Pool - €17,109.08 Dividend - €518.40 Winning Units - 25.1. Placepot Pool - €58,483.66 Dividend - €84.80 Winning Units - 489.35. Pick Six Pool - €3,631.17 Days Aggregate - €731,072.00 Last Year
More joy at Galway for Tom and Helen Mullins with Lucky Icon
He won well in Killarney and is a horse who is growing up and getting stronger all the time. Killarney was a confidence boost for him and maybe we found out the way to ride him as well,. He wasn't straightforward and the first win he had over hurdles at Ballinrobe he put up a Champion Hurdle performance that day, I thought! I was looking forward to more but it didn't come. Obviously he needs to be ridden that way, or on the outside, as he could be claustrophobic. He has also got a lot stronger in the last couple of months. Danny got the fractions right and rode him very well. I'd run him again on the flat when I see an ideal race and an ideal jockey for him.
Alpha Centauri's half-sis Star wins at Galway
We're very happy with her and she learned a lot from her experience at Leopardstown and form of that race worked out great,. You'd hope it is onwards and upwards with her now and she could go for a winners' of one and also has some fancy entries. She has a great attitude and Shane said he had to light her up coming out of the gate from a bad draw and she ran a little bit keen. He said as soon as she found the rising ground all she needed was one slap down the shoulder.
Early August Galway and it must be Minella Beau
I thought Paul got two fine jumps out of him at the final two fences - the 'mooneen', and both times he got lengths and that was the whole difference,. The second horse put in a huge performance to make the running and we just beat him and if the second jumped the last two as well as we did it would have been a different result but we were lucky enough on the day. Being Annette Mee's horse, a lot of his year revolves around Galway and he'd have to improve a lot to get into the Plate next year. That will be his target next year if he goes up in the weights.
9th of the week as Willie Mullins doubles up on day 5
Kevin was very forceful on him and made up his mind in the dip. I said to him that the horse was very sluggish coming out of stalls and to try and get a position on him and he got a lovely position on him early on,. He made the horse's mind up in the dip but said he got there a little too soon. It is nice compensation (for Monday) and the horse hadn't been lucky all season until Punchestown (in May) when it came right, and it came right again at Autueil. God knows when he last had a break so we'll have a review of his season and we'll see what is coming up. I imagine he could get a break as we have campaigned him hard this season and I think he could improve a lot as in jumping terms he is young.
Aidan beats Joseph as O'Briens dominate Galway fillies maiden
I had a good draw, she jumped and travelled and she was very fit so she kept galloping,. The plan is to get black-type and whether or not she'll be up to it we'll find out when we try it but that's the aim with her.
Festival winning rider Gibney trains 1st Galway summer winner
I'm delighted for the horse as he deserved that. He has only run nine times and has finished second four times so I was hoping he would get his head in front and I'm delighted for Leonard (Kinsella) and Kevin (Haigney) who are my biggest supporters. We had no intention of coming to Galway until Gary (Carroll) got off him at Killarney and said Galway would suit him, so that was it. He is improving, is solid as a rock and has a fantastic temperament. He is big, is all there, and it is easy to train horses like him and I wish I had a stable full of horses like him. That's my first Galway festival winner as a trainer but I won the GPT as a jockey on Saving Bond for Noel Meade (in 1997).
Weld off the mark for Galway 2019
It was a good tactical ride from Chris, he was always travelling nicely and it was a good performance by the horse,. He is in the Sales at Doncaster next week and that will probably be his next venture. He is a big strong horse and will make a nice national hunt horse for somebody and that is what he is ideal for. I thought he'd be hard to beat here today and making the running was always in my thoughts. We are not running that many horses (this week) and have had five or six seconds. I'm not using an excuse but when you're drawn 18 or 17 it is very very difficult. My two year old colt ran a super race on Monday but again the draw is so important as the winner was drawn in 1 and we were in 5 and it was the same in the Listed race and if you change those draws around, you'd get a different result. The team we brought here wasn't our strongest, I was well aware of it and was very quiet about them, but they are running well and that's as good as they are.
