Road To Riches winning the 2014 Tote Galway Plate© Photo Healy Racing
For those of us lucky enough to see it an abiding memory of the 2015 Galway festival was the look on Willie Mullins’ face when informed that the leading trainer award isn’t judged on winners alone but a system based on points for first, second and third. It’s what ultimately allowed Dermot Weld secure the prize for a 30th time - by a single point - despite having had five winners in comparison to Mullins’ eight. Weld always looms over the festival but, for many, this week’s major Galway question is will the Rosewell empire strike back?
Weld’s 2011 tally of 17 winners was astounding and the height of a festival grip which has begun to look noticeably less secure since. ‘The King Of Ballybrit’ duly reigned in 2013 with 11 winners but Tony Martin pushed him close with nine, although Weld’s own subsequent nine winner haul in 2014 still comfortably maintained the status quo. Mullins’ festival achievements in 2015 however were striking, just as it was noticeable how Tony Martin also had one more victory than Weld last year. Weld’s Galway dominance never required totting up seconds and thirds before.
Of course the done-thing in such matters is for those involved to ‘poo-poo’ the importance of such matters. When it suits, Weld himself is a maestro at portraying a rather patrician reluctance to indulge in such vulgarity. One doesn’t prosper for long in such a demanding profession though without being intensely competitive. Weld would have understood all too well Mullins’ reaction, just as the National Hunt master will no doubt anticipate a renewed response this time.
Bookmakers certainly appear to expect that, making Weld a long odds-on favourite to be Galway’s leading trainer for a 31st time in total. And after last year’s events, the man himself is unlikely to want for motivation. But it’s impossible to ignore how the slide in Weld’s Galway tallies corresponds to an increase in his general strike rate throughout the season. He himself acknowledges increased opportunities in the spring and summer make keeping ammunition for Galway something of a luxury.
Since Weld is also a master of deflecting unnecessary pressure, plenty bookmakers won’t be encouraged to let their guard down. However there’s no escaping the remorseless rate of success the legendary trainer has maintained throughout several seasons now, a reflection of the quality injection from the Aga Khan and Juddmonte, but also an acknowledgement that opportunities are in reality hugely increased these days and few can afford to ignore them.
There is also the fact that even fewer can afford to simply write-off Galway as ‘DK’ week anymore. Having got so close last year, Mullins won’t want for motivation and Gordon Elliott looks a rather large price at 25-1 given his cross-code strength. Having said all that, come Sunday, the idea of the King abdicating his Ballybrit throne might seem ludicrous.
Almost 800 runners are expected to compete over the week but surely Road To Riches will be of particular interest on Wednesday and not just because he is attempting to become the first in almost half a century to regain the Plate. Having proven himself a true Grade 1 performer since winning in 2014 this is a fascinating opportunity for him to land the summer’s major steeplechase prize off topweight.
Asking such animals to concede weight in big handicaps is an easily avoidable task these days given the range of valuable Graded alternatives. There seems to be an ingrained psychological block among many owners and trainers about doing it, even when the figures work in their favour such as it appears with Road To Riches this week. In theory he could win comfortably despite carrying 11.10. Hopefully theory corresponds to reality.
The Referrals Committee caught more than a few on the hop at the end of the Pyromaniac appeal and it looks like those concerned are about to bounce into the High Court this morning with Pyromaniac’s connections apparently set to seek a judicial review of the decision to maintain the horse’s 42 day ban on the horse. Any injunction could yet see Newtown Anner Stud’s horse line up in Thursday’s Galway Hurdle.
There’s plenty that could and should be said about this but comment in such circumstances has to walk a very thin line.
However having last week predicted a certain general predictability about how the case might unfold, given the recent history of Referral Committee hearings, it would be fair to say the detail involved proved anything but ho hum. All of which says everything you need to know about this corner crystal-balling what’s likely to happen on the track in Galway this week!
None of which though can let anyone get away with pretending to be surprised at how the matter looks set to end up in the courts.
Also making the headlines is Brian Kavanagh who has confirmed the Horse Racing Ireland board has approved a new five year term for him to remain as chief executive of racing’s ruling body. It’s a controversial move in that rules in relation to the tenure of chief executives of semi-state organisations had already been relaxed to allow Kavanagh a second seven-year term which is up in September.
The government appears keen to keep lobbing the ball back to HRI on this and the board appears very keen to keep Kavanagh’s administrative abilities - which are acknowledged worldwide within racing - in a post which at times, given the number of agendas at play, can make other political jobs look like child’s play.
The move has already drawn criticism in terms of it appearing to contradict government policy so this is a story that could run for a while yet. One relatively trivial point in the circumstances is why such a significant appointment wasn’t officially announced on the day it was made? HRI is a semi-state after all.
Finally, it’s obvious everyone loves a winner but the gushing over Ryan Moore’s King George winning ride on Highland Reel does seem a bit excessive. Given an uncontested lead and opponents who mostly seemed content to live in a tactical ‘la-la’ land in behind, wasn’t Moore’s ride little more than might be expected of any top professional?
