The newly designed Galway Plate, sponsored by Tote was also revealed at Ballybrit today as All-Star Galway Hurler Joe Canning and the designer of the plate NCAD student Matthew Lynch presented the plate to Mrs. Noreen McManus , wife of the winning owner of the plate, Mr. JP McManus. The entire card of racing was fully sponsored by Tote.
Bob Lingo one of four runners in the €200,000 thetote.com Galway Plate for owner JP McManus, was given a confident ride by Mark Walsh to capture the third day feature at the Galway Festival. The 16/1 chance travelled well throughout and picked off the front running Casey Top on the punishing uphill climb to the finish and in the end the ten year old won comfortably by five lengths over Casey Top with Blackstairmountain back in third. The gamble of the race Out Now was in touch, but could not quicken after the last and eventually finished eleventh.
It was a first Galway Plate for Tom Mullins who said,’ he’s a very difficult horse to train but I felt he was never as fit or as well recently. He can be very hard on himself at home but I felt he was really well coming here. “He had a great run in Killarney and did a lap of the track afterwards! My only worry was whether he would hold his form as he’s had a long season. Mark gave him a peach of a ride as he can be a difficult horse to ride. ‘
Get In There credited Harry Dunne and Sean Doyle with their first festival victories after the 14/1 chance landed the New Website thetote.com Handicap Hurdle. Favourite backers enjoyed a mixed afternoon, but the well supported Novarov was a popular winner of the Tote Jackpot Races 3 to 6 Handicap Hurdle and Patrick and Willie Mullins captured the mille and a half qualified rider’s maiden with the market leader Fatcatinthehat.
Dermot Weld and Pat Smullen combined the win the seven furlong handicap with Diplomat who got up in the dying strides to defeat Our Conor. The pair doubled their tally for the day when the long odds on favourite Tandem won the concluding maiden.
At Ballybrit tomorrow, the highlight must include The Guinness Galway Hurdle Handicap, as Guinness continues their sponsorship of the €260,000 hurdle race – the richest national hunt race to run in Ireland this year. For the first time on Guinness Galway Hurdle Day, Galway Races will be staging its first listed race to be run during the Summer Festival. This race will attract some of the high class Fillies which are in training this year.
The style stakes will reach a high for the renowned Anthony Ryan’s Ladies Day Best Dressed and Best Hat Competitions. Former Miss World Rosanna Davison joins the judging panel, alongside Fashion editor of the Irish Independent Bairbre Power and Editor of Social & Personal Magazine PJ Gibbons. With a prize fund of €20,000 it’s a must for fashionista’s on the Irish racing calendar.
