Royal Rendezvous and Paul Townend © Photo Healy Racing
Runner-up to Early Doors in last year’s renewal, the 5/1 favourite Royal Rendezvous went one better in the 2021 Tote Galway Plate in the hands of Paul Townend.
Always towards the head of affairs and in a good jumping rhythm, the 9-year-old went on after the last two fences in the dip and had a healthy advantage turning for home.
Brought to the stands’ side rail by Townend, the winner had his lead eroded in the final furlong but kept going well to score by a length from stablemate Easy Game (28/1).
It was a further length and a quarter back to Modus (20/1) in third with The Shunter (11/2) completing the placings.
Raised 7lb for his second place finish last year, Royal Rendezvous had raced only twice in the interim and won his ‘prep’ race over hurdles at Ballinrobe in May.
The son of King’s Theatre is owned by Dr Peter Fitzgerald from Crumlin, Co Antrim, the owner of Randox Laboratories, who of course sponsor the Grand National at Aintree.
Winning trainer Willie Mullins, previously successful in this event with Blazing Tempo (also partnered by Townend) ten years ago and getting off the mark for the week, said: "Coming home from here last year we said to ourselves we'd make this the plan again. The horse just seemed to come into tremendous form in the last three weeks.
"I was really pleased with him and you could even see it in him before the race. The dapples in his coat, he was like a horse getting ready for the Dublin Horse Show rather than coming here. He just looked a picture for the last three weeks at home and I was counting down the days and hoping we might have a bit of luck. It all worked out.
"I thought he got away in the right position and then I wondered if he was too free. He was jumping fantastically. He absolutely flew the fence past the stands and just got racing again with a circuit to race and I wondered if he was just doing a bit too much too soon, but his jumping just kept him in the game.
"Paul said his jumping kept gaining him a length or two over his fences and he was able to pull him back and get a breath of air into him after each one so he had enough in reserve.
"Last year he was just unlucky, he got knocked down on the bend coming up the hill. He was rated 7lb higher this year but he's improving. He's a late developer. Going right-handed is a help, but at one stage I didn't think he'd stay this sort of trip but the way he races now we could probably go further with him even.
"I'd imagine he will go up in grade now."
Quotes from Thomas Weekes
