Princesse Mathilde (far side) with Soaring Sky© Photo Healy Racing
Globe-trotting veteran Mark Gallagher recorded his first winner for trainer Joseph O'Brien in the BoyleSports Irish EBF Ulster Oaks at Down Royal today, steering similarly well-travelled Princesse Mathilde to a surprise 22/1 win.
Princesse Mathilde, a daughter of Dalakhani, has moved between five trainers in her career thus far, and having taken a UK-France-UK-France-Ireland route, this year moved to O'Brien and today left behind two disappointing recent performances to beat Soaring Sky by a neck.
Gallagher, a cousin of Champion Hurdle winning jockey Dean Gallagher, has spent most of his career abroad, riding 1,000 winners between India, Singapore, Macau, and England and riding at 8st7lbs today, the 52 year old took his opportunity for O'Brien, who was at Royal Ascot.
O'Brien's assistant Brendan Powell later said "before she ran first time out, she had been doing exceptional work and she was disappointing - whether it was the ground or what I don't know. Mark (Gallagher) said she loved that quicker ground.
“He said the whole way around she travelled like a dream, she picked up and he didn't know what she would find in the straight but, every time the other horse came, she kept picking up again.
"That's what we expected the first time she ran. She has got into a gear there so hopefully she will go on from there.
"The owners are breeders as well, so no doubt they will breed from her one day. They are next-door neighbours of ours."
Quotes from Michael Graham
