Mystical Power (second left) © Photo Healy Racing
The opening contest of race week at Galway was the Galwaybayhotel.com & TheGalmont.com Novice Hurdle and it was won by the 6/4 favourite Mystical Power
A Ballinrobe bumper winner on debut, the son of Galileo and Annie Power was novicey in the jumping department but moved up from mid-division to get into contention two out and led over the last before going away to win readily.
Seven lengths was the margin of victory over Samui
Winning rider Mark Walsh said: "I jumped out to get a nice position and he was just running keen with me down to the second hurdle, so instead of fighting him I just pulled him back and dropped in behind horses.
"He settled fine but then got a little bit idle with me for a while, but when I got him in amongst horses again he came alive for me.
"I didn't think we went over quick and I just wanted to get out going to the second-last because I didn't want to be caught in behind horses coming back. We got out in time and I was just taking my time going down to the last, go in and pop it, and he went away nicely and did it very easy.
"There's plenty more to come from him because he's still very raw.
"The ground is more yielding, summer soft in places. It's actually not as bad as I thought it would be. It's beautiful ground but it's opened up now and the boys might think it's worse later on.
"Galway has been a lucky place for me, I've won two Plates and ride Ciel De Neige in it on Wednesday. I haven't won a (Galway) Hurdle yet so hopefully I can put that right this year."
Winning trainer Willie Mullins said: “That was a huge performance compared to his bumper performance. He likes jumping but there is a lot of improvement to come as he made at least three mistakes.
“Like his mother he’s won here on his second run and hopefully he’ll be half as good as her.
“I’ll continue hurdling with him now. I don’t want to go back to the flat - I may do that next year with him. He looks like a horse that we might aim at the Royal Bond or something like that.
“Mark said he was too keen at the first two and pulled him out of the race early. I thought he jumped the first two very well and then he said he was idling a bit passing the stable yard but once he gave him a squeeze he locked on again.
“He did everything right from then on, jumped the last two and came through with plenty in the tank.
“I was a bit worried when I heard about all the rain they were getting up here but they were getting the best ground in the first race on the first day. It didn’t seem to bother him anyhow.
“He’s improving with age and beginning to mature. He sweated a lot in Ballinrobe, he didn’t know what was going on, but today he didn’t turn a hair.”
Quotes from Alan Magee
