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Saturday, 1 August 2009
Galway Races - Results
Thursday, 30 July 2009
Bahrain Storm Wins Guinness Hurdle
2.00 Perfect Pint Beginners Steeplechase 2m 6f 1. Whatever Next 14/1 - D N Russell 2. Corrick Bridge 9/4 Fav 3. Maucaillou 4/1 Winning trainer: John Joseph Murphy
2.35 Guinness Time Handicap 1m 100yds. 1. Fit The Cove 12/1 - D E Mullins(5) 2. Separate Ways C O'Donoghue 3. Propinquity 11/2 Winning trainer: H Rogers
3.10 St James's Gate Novice Steeplechase 2m 1f. 1. Montero 6/4 - R Loughran 2. Aoife Costa 9/1 3. Farinelli 4/1 Winning trainer: D T Hughes
3.45 Guinness 250th Anniversary EBF Fillies Handicap 7f. 1. Slieve Mish 7/1 - K J Manning 2. Beauthea 8/1 3. Flame Of Ireland 8/1 Winning trainer: J S Bolger
4.20 Signature Novice Hurdle 2m 6f. 1. Dual Gales 11/4 - R Walsh 2. Glenstal Abbey evens Fav 3. Carsonstown Boy 9/1 Winning trainer: W P Mullins
5.00 Arthur Guinness Galway Hurdle Handicap (Grade A) 2m. 1. Bahrain Storm 20/1 - S J Gray(5) 2. Deutschland 15/8 Fav 3. Lucky Wish 25/1 4. Northern Alliance 7/1 Winning trainer: Patrick J Flynn
5.40 Arthur's Legacy Handicap 1m 4f. 1. Articilitis 14/1 - G F Carroll(5) 2. No One Tells Me 6/4 Fav 3. Sandymount Lady 15/2 4. Keep It Cool 25/1 Winning trainer: Desmond McDonogh
5.40 Guinness Storehouse (Pro/Am) Flat Race 2m 2f. 1. Bay Central 10/1 - Nina Carberry 2. Ballyvoile 11/2 3. Graceful Composer 33/1 Winning trainer: John Paul Brennan
Ballyholland leaves track of the foot in Galway Chase
2.00 William Hill in Ireland Hurdle 2m. 4-y-o plus. 1. Tawaag 4/5 Fav - R Walsh 2. No Stopping Sarah 7/1 3. Baily Rock 4/1 Winning trainer: W P Mullins
2.35 WilliamHill.com Handicap Hurdle 2m 4f. 4-y-o plus. 1. Steve Capall 12/1 - P Carberry 2. The Rebel Returns 14/1 3. Valley Of Giants 14/1 4. Armaramak 9/1 Winning trainer: Noel Meade
3.10 William Hill 1800 333 555 Handicap 1m 4f. 3-y-o plus. 1. Charleville 20/1 - D M Grant 2. Tin Town Boy 11/2 3. Not Til Monday 3/1 Fav Winning trainer: Patrick Cody
3.45 Williamhill.com-casino(QR) Maiden 1m 4f. 3-y-o plus. 1. Blackstairsmountain 5/4 Fav - Mr P W Mullins 2. Miss Chaparral 2/1 3. Abroad 15/2 Winning trainer: W P Mullins
4.25 William Hill Galway Plate (Handicap Chase) 2m 6f. 4-y-o plus 1. Ballyholland 16/1 - Andrew J McNamara 2. Knock On The Head 9/1 3. Washington Lad 11/1 4. Anothercoppercoast 16/1 Winning trainer: C McBratney
5.05 William Hill Irish Sportsbook 2009 Handicap 1m 100yds 3-y-o only 1. Gimli's Rock 14/1 - K Latham 2. Izadonawin 6/1 3. Tatacoa 10/1 Moving Heart 9/4 Fav Winning trainer: Mrs John Harrington
5.40 Williamhill.com-poker Handicap 1m 100yds 4-y-o plus 1. Steig 6/1 - G F Carroll 2. Peculiar Prince 25/1 3. Lady Songbird 12/1 4. Lizzie Bennett 20/1 Winning trainer: C Moore
5.40 Williamhill.com-vegas Maiden 1m 100yds 3-y-o to 4-y-o. 1. Precious Gem 5/4 Fav - P J Smullen 2. Are You The One 25/1 3. Karma Lina 9/1 Winning trainer: D K Weld
Treble for King 'Canute' Weld on the Paddy Fields of Galway
5.10 Tote Placepot Races 1 to 6 Maiden Hurdle 2m. 5-y-o plus. 1. Teach Nua 8/1 - Paul Townend 2. Boragh Princess 25/1 3. For The Staff 100/30 Fav Winning trainer: D K Weld
5.45 Cara Diamonds Steeplechase 2m 6f. 5-y-o plus. 1. Natal 8/1 - D F O'Regan 2. Tasman 7/2 Fav 3. Paco Jack 6/1 Winning trainer: J J Lambe
6.20 Tote Jackpot Handicap 2m. 3-y-o plus. 1. Almolahek 11/2 - P J Smullen 2. My Valley 6/1 3. Le Leopard 10/1 Winning trainer: D K Weld
7.00 Tote Galway Mile EBF Handicap 1m 100yds 3-y-o plus. 1. Rock And Roll Kid - 6/1 Jt Fav 2. Maundy Money 11/1 3. Bobs Pride 9/1 4. Wigwam Willie Miranda's Girl 6/1 Jt Fav Winning trainer: Anthony Mullins
7.35 thetote.com EBF Fillies Maiden 7f. 2-y-o. 1. Devoted To You 5/2 - C O'Donoghue 2. Brushed Aside evens Fav. 3. Akdarena 8/1 4. Carigali 20/1 Winning trainer: A P O'Brien
8.10 Tote Telebet Handicap 7f. 4-y-o plus. 1. Sassy Gal 20/1 2. If Perchance 8/1 3. King's Bastion 16/1 4. Toufan Express 4/1 Fav Winning trainer: Peter Maher
8.40 Tote EBF Maiden Flat Race 7f. 3-y-o.
1. Qassaar 8/15 Fav - P J Smullen 2. My Blue Heaven 10/1 3. Zeruth 14/1 Winning trainer: D K Weld
You can read your newspapers online and watch TV news every day simply by clicking on Today's Newspapers or typing the words 'TODAY'S NEWSPAPERS ONLINE' into the Google search engine.
'Today's Newspapers Online' includes all leadingIrish, UK and US newspapers - and RTE News , BBC News , ITV News and SKY News.
5.45 galwaybayhotel.com Handicap Hurdle 2m 1. No One Tells Me 9/2 Fav - R. Power 2. Right Or Wrong 12/1 3. Good Old Thyme 12/1 4. Golden Grimshaw 50/1 Winning trainer: Mrs J. Harrington
6.20 radissonhotelgalway.com 7f. 2-y-o 1. Stunning View 4/9 Fav - Pat Smullen 2. Banyan Tree 7/2 3. Zayaan 7/1 Winning trainer: D K Weld
7.00 carlton.ie/galwaycity Handicap 2m 1. Ghimaar 10/1 - R. P. McNamara 2. Evening Rush Hour 20/1 3. Mountain Snow 20/1 4. Jump For You 33/1 Truckers Delight 5/1 Fav Winning trainer: D K Weld
7.35 claregalwayhotel.ie Hotel Handicap 7f. 3-y-o 1. Tellelle 9/1 - Danny Mullins 2. Out Of Honour 7/1 3. Spavento 5/1 4. Carigali 20/1 Rio Cobolo 100/30 Fav Winning trainer: Liam McAteer
8.10 hotelmeyrick.ie & ghote.ie Handicap 1m 4f. 3-y-o 1. Mosstown 7/1 - Shane Foley 2. Not Til Monday 10/1 3. Rory Anna 25/1 4. The Pier 10/1 Art Broker 6/4 Fav Winning trainer: Mrs J Harrington
8.40 irelandhotels.com Flat Race 2m 1. Honours Graduate 8/1 - Mr B F Crawley 2. Hayabusa 6/1 3. Honorary Title 10/1 New Rules 7/4 Fav Winning trainer: Paul John Gilligan
Galway Races' track manager John Moloney described the ground this evening at the Ballybrit course as soft, soft to heavy in places.
It rained this afternoon (Sunday) and more rain is forecast.
Moloney stated: "We had a fine day up until late afternoon when we got a very heavy shower. The ground had improved through the day but I'd say we are somewhere between soft and heavy now.
"We are expecting a mixture of wind, sunshine and more showers and the current forecast is that it will be wetter on Wednesday."
At a time when more racegoer-friendly racecourses such as Roscommon and Fairyhouse are doing their best to accommodate the beleagured people of Ireland by lowering their admission prices, what are Galway Races doing?
Ranged behind the forbidding steel battlements of their €30 and €25 turnstiles, they steadfastly refuse to recognize the economic plight of their faithful supporters by introducing realistic admission fees.
It was hardly surprising therefore to read in today's Sunday Independent that the Galway executive allegedly showed little interest in PJ Walsh (farmer) and Tony Keenan (teacher) when the two men approached the Ballybrit Dragon's Den with their book The Galway Races Guide 2009.
"Every racetrack accommodated the duo in their attempts to sell the book with one exception: Galway. Officials there made no attempt to facilitate them; nor did they express any interest in discussing some form of cut of any profits made from sales at the track.
The booklet is available in Galway at Holland's Newsagent on Williamgate Street (off Eyre Square) and from Irish Racing Trends. Keenan was frustrated by the response from the course but was encouraged by "the great support from all the other tracks that were kind enough to facilitate us and everyone who we dealt with in the racing media who were ultra-helpful.
"It was disappointing that the Galway executive took little interest in the project, though I can see their point; they run the most successful meeting of the year and have obviously hit on the right formula in that regard so why would they want to allow two young fellas with no real track record in on the thing?
That said, I think the quality of content speaks for itself and we are at a time when any sort of innovation in Irish Racing should be nurtured."
The Galway Races Guide 2009 has been receiving some great coverage from the media of late so you may have seen it on RTE or At The Races.
Here are some samples of the praise the guide has been getting from the racing community:
" The Galway Races Guide ... an excellent trends book... an essential piece of equipment if you are going west next week."Donn McClean
" The Galway Races Guide ... anyone planning to take in the extreme endurance test that is the Galway races would be well-advised to take a look at Tony Keenan and PJ Walsh's superb guide to the festival ... This is a must for people serious about making money in Ballybrit."Johnny Ward, Sunday Independent.
"For anyone going to Galway, this book is great value at €8. You're certainly going to show a profit if you buy this book in advance." Brian Gleeson RTE
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Keep an eye out this Sunday for more coverage in the Racing Post and the Sunday Independent.
Time is running out to buy your Galway Races Guide. All orders placed from Saturday, July 25th will also receive a PDF of the guide (along with the hard copy) so you can get studying straight away!
Click on The Galway Races Guide 2009 to read informative extracts and find out how to get your hands on the complete book.
* Quotes from many leading trainers on their best chances * Interviews with local handlers Paul Gilligan and Val O’Brien * Shark Hanlon talks about his big hope, Truckers Delight * Colin McBratney discusses Ballyholland’sGalway Plate claims * Kevin O’Brien reveals his hopes for Galway Hurdle fancy Fingers * Champion claimer and Galwegian Alain Cawley looks forward to riding a leading contender in the Hurdle * Guy Williams looks back at Ballybrit highlights from 1989 and 1959 * Ryan McElligott picks out his five best bets for the meeting
HRI Chief Executive Brian Kavanagh Calls for More Competitive Pricing
Too late for Galway Races?
With the Galway Races just days away, Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) have just announced figures for the first six months of 2009 compared to the same period in 2008.
Totalattendance: Down 17% Averageattendance: Down 14% Bookmaker on-course betting: Down 22% Tote betting: Down 22% Prize money: Down 14%
HRI Chief Executive Brian Kavanagh stated: “The first six months have not surprisingly proved to be very challenging, with Irish racing not immune from the effects of the economic slowdown. All our figures are down, but we must see them in context.
Racing is coming from a very high bar, having achieved record figures in recent times, and 2008 saw a contraction in the Irish horse racing industry for the first time in more than fifteen years.
With rising unemployment and continuing weak consumer confidence in so many markets, it is understandable that attendances at events, including race meetings are going to be affected.
Racing will have to rise to the challenge and offer better value for our customers, with competitive pricing, increased offers and more incentives to reward our loyal racegoers
”.
_______________________________
Is it too late for Galway Races to do the decent thing?
The weather forecast for Galway Races is important for trainers, racecourse management and racegoers alike. The weather determines the 'going', 'who or what will be going' and 'what one is going to do' at Galway.
Check the Galway Weather Forecast regularly when making your plans for the Galway Summer Racing Festival. Always remember that the Galway Races' weather forecast provides exactly what it says on the tin, i.e. a weather forecast.
Meteorologists differ and racegoers get soaked. So, for racegoers of a nervous or cynical or "each-way" disposition, here's a Galway Weather Forecast from the 'Irish Independent' as well. You can't be too careful.
We take no responsibility for these weather forecasts. Does anyone?
Be careful. Be very careful. You could be applying sun cream to your companion at 3.00pm and the kiss-of-life at 3.02pm.
At Galway Races or anywhere else in Ireland, we often experience four seasons in one day - twelve months in a week - or even a seven days in an afternoon.
"Never mind Richard Dawkins''The God Delusion'," said the man in The Mullioned Snug, "I'm more concerned about The Galway Delusion, the widespread fallacy that the Galway Races are some kind of heaven on turf with admission prices that necessitate a year of self-denial."
(Sshhhh ..... Don't mention the .... Celtic Tiger admission prices!)
Anyone who has ever attended the Galway Races will recall with a smile the invigorating thrill of the racing; the spine-tingling roar from the grandstands as the horses gallop towards the winning post; the fun and the laughter, the anecdotes and the banter in the company of friends.
Life is about creating memories to sustain and entertain us in times of reflection.
As Wordsworth said: "But oft, in lonely rooms, and 'mid the din Of towns and cities, I have owed to them, In hours of weariness, sensations sweet, Felt in the blood, and felt along the heart."
Thus it is with the Galway Races. For generations of Irish men and women, the colourful memories of fun-filled summers at Ballybrit have brightened many a bleak winter night.
Take our advice. Get out to Ballybrit, even for a day, and you'll collect enough "auld yarns" and memories to keep you going till the hard times pass.
However - if, like thousands of others this year, you can't afford Galway'sCeltic Tiger ADMISSION PRICES, why not enjoy RTE's coverage from the comfort of your armchair or at your local?
You'll see much more than the average racegoer usually sees and all in high definition close-up with instantaneous action replays - plus entertaining and informative comments from Ted Walsh, Brian Gleeson and a dramatis personae of jockeys, trainers, bookmakers, owners, etc.
No traffic congestion and no queueing!
You'll save €30 admission fee on Ladies' Day, €3 on a racecard, and God knows many more euros on racecourse-priced meals, snacks, drinks, etc.
€66 for you and your partner BEFORE you even start to eat, drink and BET ...
What? Did I hear you say that you were planning to bring your whole family?
Do you know that this festival of self-indulgence and conspicuous consumption rampages unabated for seven long spendthrift days?
Throughout Ireland people of all ages and occupations prepare for the Galway Races with a fervour that is almost religious in its intensity. Budgets are planned, holidays are arranged and business is scheduled to conform with the sacrosanct dates of the annual week-long festival.
More significantly, perhaps, commemorative coups are prepared, often with horses that have abstained reverentially from victory for the obligatory twelve months. Horses will piously avail of the special dispensation permitting them to triumph twice in the one week at this exceptional venue.
On Monday, traditionally the opening evening, the turnstiles begin to rotate and the devotional crowds stream in regardless of prevailing economic or meteorological constraints. Mohair suits, elegant silks and clerical collars commingle spontaneously with cloth caps, braces and stout brown boots.
As the familiar strains of ‘The Galway Races’ resound from the loudspeakers, the emphasis is decidedly on camaraderie and merriment. Profit may be a significant motive; but the real profit is measured not in euros, but in craic.
Galway accommodation, particularly Galway City Centre accommodation, is notoriously difficult to find during the Galway Races.
'Galway Accommodation' typically includes hotel or bed and breakfast accommodation, rented house, apartment or mobile home.
Disappointed latecomers to the Galway Summer Racing Festival, who have been too busy to book their accommodation in advance, often find themselves searching for b&bs as far away as Spiddal.
Sleeping in cars, in tents, in outhouses, in haysheds or even under upturned boats (in good weather) is not unknown to the incurably dedicated Galway racegoer.
If your idea of Galway accommodation includes the upturned boat, perhaps you would be interested in staying under the one in the picture above - as described below:
*** Unique Galway B&B Accommodation
This superbly located bijou bed and breakfast accommodation retains many of its original features, including wooden beams, a traditional stone floor and 360 degree surround air-conditioning. Situated in its own grounds, it offers breathtaking views of Galway Bay and the blue hills of Connemara. Excellent sailing and angling facilities on your doorstep.
Spiddal, the local village, offers a variety of pubs, restaurants, traditional music and Gaelic conversation. The property makes an ideal base from which to experience the local attractions including the Galway Races, Galway City, and Connemara National Park.
Brian Graham and Brian Gleeson call for a reductioninracecourse admission charges.
In an interview at the Curragh, on Sunday 12 July, with RTE's Brian Gleeson, bookmaker Brian Graham called for a reduction in admission charges to Irish racecourses.
Brian Gleeson: " The Galway Festival is a meeting we all look forward to. But this year it'll be a litmus test in terms of the economy and what way its going to shape out. "
Brian Graham: " I think it will from what we've seen here on the track. We've seen it at Fairyhouse and at Punchestown; and we've even seen it here (at the Curragh) over Derby Weekend that people just don't have the money anymore.
I think the admission charges - and what we've seen quite a bit about that ... Theywill have to come down, in fairness.
20 euros and 25 euros to the ordinary man on the street this time 18 months ago wasn't a lot of money But every penny counts now.
We need people to come racing again to stimulate everything - to keep the bars going, to keep the Tote going and every thing else. And the only way to get them (racegoers) in the gate is to reduce the admission charges.
I'd be all for that."
Brian Gleeson: "And so would I. And so say all of us."
B&B Galway is the buzz phrase for the Galway Races, Galway Arts Festival and Galway Oyster Festival. B&B Galway offers the value and high levels of service that visitors to the ‘City of the Tribes’ demand.
B&B Galway proprietors are excellent hosts who enjoy meeting people and are committed to making your stay in Galway truly memorable. When you book a B&B in Galway, you can be sure that you will feel at home in the company of friends.
Whether you decide to book your bed and breakfast accommodation in a private Galway B and B or in a Galway hotel, make sure to confirm your booking as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. There are few things so frustrating as a late arrival in Galway followed by a frantic search for a B and B in the middle of a forest of 'NO VACANCIES' signs.
You’ll find great B&B Galway deals at Galway Hotels with very competitive rates for a wide selection of premises.
Ladies' Day at Galway Races 2009 will be on Thursday 30th July.
The Best Dressed Ladies Competition and the Best Hat Competition, sponsored by Anthony Ryans Ltd, offer a combined prize bonanza of over €13,500 to the lucky winners.
The Best Dressed Lady will receive a 1 carat diamond solitaire pendant valued at €8,000, €2,000 Cash and €2,000 in vouchers for a shopping spree at Anthony Ryans Galway.
The prize for the ‘Best Hat’ is a luxury trip for two to a top European destination including flights and accommodation valued at €1,500.
All finalists at the Best Dressed marquee will be presented with a special collection of Lancôme cosmetics compliments of University Pharmacy, Galway.
LADIES wishing to participate in this year’s Anthony Ryan’s Best Dressed Lady Competition are asked to arrive at Ballybrit in good time. The finalists will be selected by 2.30pm.
There is no entry fee required for the Best Dressed Lady or the Best Hat competition. Judges will mingle through the crowd and will invite chosen finalists to the judging marquee, which is located adjacent to the champagne tent in the race enclosure.
The winning outfits will be announced at 3.30pm. The prize-giving ceremony will take place in the enclosure immediately after the fifth race.
, a new Irish television comedy drama series based on the annual seven days of the Galway Races, will be given a special advance screening this weekend as part of the 21st Galway Film Fleadh.
Rásaà na Gaillimhe was filmed on location at Ballybrit, Eyre Square, Quay Street and other parts of the city commonly frequented by Galway racegoers.
Mick Kinane, rider of 2009 Derby WinnerSea The Stars, returning to the winner's enclosure at Galway on the Joseph Crowley trained Prospectorous after the 3yo gelding had beaten Spanish Parade by 2 1/2 lengths in the Williamhillcasino.com Handicap.
Mick Kinane has ridden numerous classic and Group 1 winners throughout his career, including Galileo, Giant's Causeway, Rock of Gibraltar, Yeats, George Washington, High Chaparral, etc.
He has been Champion Jockey of Ireland on no fewer than 13 occasions.
In a recent television interview, Johnny Murtagh said:"Mick Kinane is great for the sport. He mightn't smile that often. He mightn't show his emotions. But I know that when he wins those big races, inside he's having a good giggle."
Expressing his admiration for Kinane, he added: "I really can't say enough about him. What he's done for Irish jockeys. What he's done for me. The Racing Post states every year at his birthday that he is 'master of his profession' and I think that's what he is."
A photographer in Galway is constantly capturing unique moments in the history of a vibrant, life-affirming city - snapshots of people and situations that can never be repeated exactly.
Photos of Galway Races, Galway Arts Festivals, Galway Oyster Festivals, Macnas parades, Galway street theatre, musicians, magicians, dancers, etc.
Long after individual memories of Galway have faded, the photographs are there to reanimate them, to bring them back to life.
The Galway Races photographs on this site cover the years from 2004 to the present.
If you wish our Galway photographer to feature your photo in our Galway Races 2009 coverage, please contact us at flannat2@aol.com.
Galway City hotels provide swift and easy access to the numerous Galway festivals and tourist attractions that take place throughout the year.
All the Galway hotels listed below are in the vicinity of Eyre Square, the centre of Galway.
Galway City Hotels with approximate distances to the city centre:
Radisson Blu Hotel 0.12 mile to city centre Jurys Inn 0.27 mile to city centre The House Hotel 0.21 mile to city centre Park House Hotel 0.17 mile to city centre The G Hotel 0.96 mile to city centre The Western Hotel 0.26 mile to city centre Hotel Meyrick 0.13 mile to city centre The Imperial Hotel 0.20 mile to city centre Eyre Square Hotel 0.24 mile to city centre Victoria Hotel 0.12 mile to city centre
For a full list of Galway City hotels and distances to the city centre, please visit Galway City Hotels
Speaking after the official launch of this year's Galway Races Festival in the g Hotel yesterday, Galway Racecourse Manager, John Moloney said that advance ticket sales were "quite good" but he was doubtful as to whether the Ballybrit track would attract the same high turnout as 2009.
"Last year we had over 200,000. It's hard to know, we are expecting numbers to be a little down," he said.
Announcing this year's race new sponsors, Mr Moloney added: "The launch went very well. We launched some brand new sponsors with 'Galway's Best Hotels Race Day', a group of six hotels that will be sponsoring the event - Claregalway Hotel, Days Hotel, g Hotel, Meyrick Hotel, Radisson SAS and the Galway Bay Hotel. It's an exciting new project and I look forward to working with everyone involved."
Ask Damien McElroy, racing tipster of the Irish Independent. Ask racehorse trainer Christy Roche. Ask RTE's Tracy Piggott.
Make sure to ask everyone you meet: friends, colleagues and total strangers. Don't forget Gráinne Seoige, Pat Kenny and Anthony Ryan's Best Dressed Lady. It's all part of the 'Tips for Galway Races' tradition.
In the long run, however, the best way to profit from their well-intentioned Galway tips is to file them all under 'Amnesia'.
The boys in The Mullioned Snug offered the followingasa FEW of the reasons why tipped horses lose at Galway (and at other racetracks throughout the world).
Horse - too slow; badly drawn; too much weight; dwelt at the start; didn't stay; unsuited by trip; didn't come up the hill; didn't go down the hill; unsuited by right-handed course; slipped up on landing; bad luck in running; scoped badly after the race; burst a blood vessel; saddle slipped; lost his place; stone bruise; didn't get a clear run; needed the run; ran out ......
Jockey - lost his whip; not suited to horse; tactical error; came too early; came too late; not forceful enough in finish; fell off; out too late the night before ....
Trainer - stable out of form; not good at placing his horses; readying horse for a future race .....
At this point, the barman in The Mullioned Snug called 'last orders'.
With so many excuses for losing horses, it's hard to see how any sane racegoer would seriously expect to make money from tips forGalway Races?
'Bookmakers look forward to the Galway Races to boost their fluctuating funds. A bumper week at this cornucopian venue invariably puts them 'in front' for the year. Inexperienced holiday punters contribute ceremonially to the bookies' coffers through their artless bets on pin-selected horses and those with agreeable names.
On the other hand, informed gamblers and 'strokers' with mysteriously inexhaustible funds can cause serious damage at the competitive betting odds generally available at Galway.
When heavily-supported horses oblige in consecutive races, the resultant queues of winning punters are enough to strike panic into the heart of the most phlegmatic turf accountant.
The bookmaker's recurring nightmare must surely be a record losing day at Galway with payout queues stretching telescopically into the famous sunset, and his assistants whispering nervously: 'We aren't going to have enough readies to pay this lot.'
Miraculously, the trusty betting-bag proves equal to the most exacting demands and yields funds far in excess of its squat dimensions. Talk about loaves and fishes … or rabbits from a hat! Bookmakers regularly perform biblical and theatrical feats at the Galway Races.' From 'The Galway Races'
Irish Derby 2009 - Official attendance 23,271 15 per cent down on Irish Derby 2008
Irish Derby 2009 - €1.6m bet with the bookies Irish Derby 2008 - €2.1m bet with bookies
The Galway Race Committee must act decisively to avoid the same fate. Drastic times call for drastic measures. Now that the tent pegs have been uprooted, what next?
In TheMullioned Snug last night, the following song titles were suggested by a trio of disillusioned tipplers:
'Galway Races - The Thrill Is Gone' 'Galway Races - Those Were The Days' 'Galway Races - Yesterday, All My Troubles Seemed So Far Away' 'Galway Races - The Carnival Is Over' 'Galway Races - Save The Last Dance For Me' 'Galway Races - A Nation Turns Its Lonely Eyes to You'
In'Galway for the Races',Jim Bolger told Barry Henriques:
"The one aspect of going to Galway that I find infuriating is the infernal road traffic. It is probably one of the reasons why we stay in Galway for the duration. I pity the numbers of patrons who are forced, by reason of work or commitment elsewhere, to make the journey on a daily basis.
I have often referred to it (Galway) as the right-handed Epsom of Ireland. People often say that the hill is the deciding factor, but I can assure you that if your horse is travelling well down the hill, you have a great chance of being in the frame. Position is everything as you race into the dip. Of course, it's a tough climb up the hill as you turn in but, if you haven't travelled well to the hill and you have a poor position, you have no chance of getting home in front.
People come from all over to Galway. That is another reason for being there. You meet people at the Galway Races that you may never meet until the following year. It is a date marked into the diaries of many of our emigrants from all over the world. I've met people from New York and San Francisco. I've met them from all over the UK and Europe. I've met them from Asia and Australia. I love talking to them. It (Galway Races) also has a great magnetism for sports people: hurlers, footballers, and rugby people."
Jim Bolger's first winner at Galway was Pigeon's Nest. Ridden by Peter Scudamore, it landed the John Player's Amateur Handicap in 1979.
, the legendary Galway specialist,told Barry Henriques of the 'Kilkenny People': "I raced in Tuam much earlier than I raced in Galway. It took us a long time to have a horse capable of giving a good account of himself in Galway. But when we succeeded in getting a decent horse ready for Galway, we never looked back afterwards."
"I loved Galway," he added,"and I suspect Galway loved me. It was a very lucky track for me, and I never had any major misfortune there over all the years I have been travelling there. My brother, Captain Luke Mullins, was the Clerk of the Course there for years, so it was particularly enjoyable for me and my family to go and stay with him.
I love going to Galway and nothing has changed over the years to quench that regard. It has an attraction all its own and it is, without doubt, the best racing track in the country. They have made enormous improvements over the years, and I wouldn't miss going down there for diamonds. It is a unique place in every sense of the word."
Extract from 'Galway for the Races' - published in 2006.
"Galway is a flagship for racing in this country." In an interview for 'Galway for the Races', trainer Edward O'Grady told Barry Henriques of the 'Kilkenny People': "I love Galway. I have so many great memories of Ballybrit, so many friends around Galway. For a whole raft of reasons, it has become one of the great shining lights of the Irish racing scene. It is no secret why it has achieved the great regard it has in people's estimation.
Galway is a flagship for racing in this country, particularly steeplechasing racing. It is a hugely progressive track with an enormously hard-working and dedicated Committee, and a Manager (John Moloney) who must be the envy of all other racing venues around the country."
Edward recalled his best memories of the Galway Races: "I have so many great days, and great memories, since I first started training and taking horses to Galway, but if pressed, I suppose, in deference to other great horses and great acclaim, I would have to say that winning the double with Hindhope and Hard Tarquin on successive days (1979) with Jonjo (O'Neill) in the saddle would probably rank as the best memory."
In light of the current economic recession and the dramatic fall in attendances at race meetings throughout Ireland and the UK, the big question among the horse racing fraternity in Ireland is 'Will attendances be up or down at the Galway Festival in 2009?'.
Galway Races Summer Festival 2009 Admission Prices
Mon July 27th - €20 Tues July 28th - €25 Wed July 29th - €30 Thurs July 30th - €30 Fri July 31st - €25 Sat Aug 1st - €20 Sun Aug 2nd - €20
Factor in racecards at €3.00 per meeting, car parking, meals, snacks, drinks, refreshments, not to mention BETTING (if you can afford it).
Recession? What recession?
Don't mention spiralling unemployment or plummeting house prices.
Don't mention the blitzed construction industry or the stalled motor industry.
Don't mention the collapse in the number of visitors from Britain, who are discouraged by the sterling-euro exchange rate.
Can the plain people of Ireland afford to go to Galway Races this year?
Ask RTE's Paddy O'Gorman ('Queueing for a Living') as he tours the children's playgrounds of Ireland interviewing Ireland's new poor.
Ask your local property developer or your neighbourhood architect.
How to beat the recession?
Shanks's mare, a packed lunch and cold tea in a bottle.
Racing page from a giveaway newspaper that includes a free €5 bet.
Stowaway in a horsebox.
With a little ingenuity, you can 'join the crowd at Galway'.
Barney Curley landed two major gambles at Galway Races in 1999 with Mystic Ridge and Magic Combination.
"Galway is one of the big events of the summer racing season in Republic of Ireland. Irish people come from all over the world just to be there. For sheer atmosphere, it's like Cheltenham, although on a smaller scale, and Irish men love nothing better than to train a winner there.
I warmed up with a win in a mile handicap with my five-year-old Mystic Ridge at Leopardstown at the beginning of July and then took the gelding on to the Galway Festival ..... "
Galway hotels come in all shapes and sizes.Use the Galway hotels link below to check out the following list of hotels:
Abbeyglen Castle Hotel, Clifden Anno Santo Hotel Ballynahinch Castle Hotel, Recess, Connemara Best Western Flannery’s Brennan’s Yard Cashel House Hotel, Cashel, Connemara Clifden Station House Clybaun Connemara Coast Corrib Village Courtyard, Galway City Courtyard by Marriott Days Hotel, Galway Forster Court Galway Bay Hotel, Salthill Glenlo Abbey Hotel Great Southern- Corrib The G Hotel Harbour Hotel The House Hotel Hotel Meyrick - Eyre Square (formerly the Great Southern) Ibis Galway Waterfront Hotel, Salthill Imperial Hotel Galway Kingsvalley Menlo Park Oranmore Lodge Park House Premier Suites, Galway City Quality Hotel and Leisure Centre Galway Galway Hotels - Click here
"He misses nothing, that John Moloney. A top man, " grins a pipe-smoking onlooker. "He could hear the grass growing. Did you see him on that TV3 programme the other night? Up from the crack of dawn. Preparing for this week these last twelve months. He hadn't even time to sit down while he was eating his breakfast cereal.
Checking his old-fashioned rain gauge.'None of this modern computer model weather forecasting for me,' says he. 'If you can see Black Head out in Galway Bay, you know it has cleared.'
Walking the course. Prodding and poking at the turf to test the going. No stone left unturned.
Oh, it was well said that if you want a job done properly, give it to a busy man."
"To racegoers travelling along the Dublin to Galway road, the names on the signposts are a magical incantation: Tyrrellspass, Kilbeggan, Horseleap, Moate, Athlone, Ballinasloe, Aughrim, Kilreekill, Loughrea, and Craughwell. Fields and hedgerows rush by; the distinctive stone walls of Galway begin to appear; and the pulse quickens.
Oranmore at last! Devotees converge from Cork, Kerry, Tipperary, Limerick and Clare, their eyes alert for the heart-warming directional signs to 'The Galway Races'.
Traffic Branch gardai ensure the smooth flow of traffic. You park your car and emerge to the nostalgic scent of freshly mown grass and the familiar echoing sound of the public address system.
The ivied ruins of the Old Norman castle and the distant prospect of the hills of Clare evoke memories of previous Galway Races.
Revived at Ballybrit, about three miles from Galway city, in 1869, the Galway Races has grown from a small country meeting into the fourth largest horse racing festival in the World. Its feature races, the Galway Steeplechase Plate and the Galway Hurdle, have a rich history; and owners, trainers and jockeys love to have winners at Galway, where in those brief few minutes after the victory they all enjoy 'one crowded hour of glorious life'.
This book contains an account of the origin and development of the Galway Races and people and horses that were part of this amazing story. Fred Cullen's feat of training all five winners on the card, the first English-trained winner at the meeting in 1904, the panic in Galway when the Government announced the centralisation of racing during the Great War and the U-turn that followed when it was realised that the economy of the city depended on the races. The great Galway trainers,including Harry Ussher, Maxie Arnott, Dermot Weld and Noel Meade; the leading owners, Charles Blake, Pansy Croft, Michael Smurfit; and the famous riders, including Gary Moore, Tommy Beasley, Joe Canty, and Michael Kinane all feature in this book.
Events are also covered, like the winner of the Galway Hurdle that was disqualified because the owner did not pay the entry fee; the angry weather that caused the abandonment of the old Tuam programme when run at Galway for the first time; and the changing face of Ireland in the early sixties, which caught out the Galway Race Committee.
Do you want to apply for landing rights for your helicopter at Galway Races 2009?
Extract from 'The Irish Times' 20/5/2009
'One of the litmus tests for Irish helicopter use will come later this summer at the annual Galway Races. In recent years helicopter travel to and from the racecourse necessitated the building of a dedicated control tower, with the event more in tune with a scene from Black Hawk Down than an annual race meet. Over 2,000 landings took place during the course of the festival in 2008, compared to 120 in 1991.
At last month’s Punchestown Festival, helicopter landings dropped from 1,200 last year to less than 300 this year. It is estimated that the numbers of landings on the Friday of the festival in 2008 was the same as the total number for the whole week this year.
Organisers at the Galway Festival are currently writing to companies asking if they intend re-applying for landing rights at this year’s festival. Racecourse managerJohn Moloney says it’s too early to tell what level of chopper traffic this year’s festival will attract, but his "gut feeling is that there will be less this year than last year".'Down to Earth with a Bump
Galway Race Week accommodation should be booked as early as possible to obtain the hotel, apartment, house or bed and breakfast of your choice.
Since most racegoers prefer Galway Race Week accommodation that is within walking distance of the centre of Galway (where the real festival action takes place), hotels and guesthouses with convenient access to the following locations usually fill up first: Eyre Square, William Street, Shop Street, High Street, Quay Street, Eglinton Street, St Francis Street, Smith Street, Upper Abbeygate Street, Lower Abbeygate Street, Middle Street, Lower Dominick Street, and the Spanish Arch and Museum area.
'Galway Race Week Accommodation' is a phrase that crops up with increasing regularity in conversations throughout the country as the Galway Races approach. Regular Galway racegoers know from experience that it is important to book their accommodation well in advance of the Ballybrit racing festival, but there are always the newcomers who arrive in Galway at the last minute expecting to check in to their chosen hotel or B&B in the centre of the city at a moment's notice.
"For one group of incorrigible optimists, who have no accommodation booked, the hundreds of 'No Vacancies' signs around Galway have necessitated a frustrating odyssey through Salthill, Barna, Spiddal, Inveran and the distant outcrops of Connemara. "There's three of us sleeping under an upturned currach!" jokes the man with the pint. €39.99 for bed and breakfast. The woman said it was a special offer. Still, I wouldn't miss Galway for anything." From 'Galway Races - Memories in the Making'
When Christy Moore appeared with Pat Kenny on the Late Late Show, he added extra lyrics about the Irish banking scandal.
"There's Bethlehem and Cheltenham and Lourdes and Limerick Junction, The trip to Medjagoria or the rub of the Extreme Unction. Good people climb Croagh Patrick with serenity on their faces, But Ruby saved me bacon below at the Galway Races. Hey Ruby hold her back, give her the crack and up she'll go.
They're under starters orders, Ted Walsh is commentating, Oh Ruby's up on the favourite, she'll take some 'batin'. Oh Necks are craned and eyes are strained there's fear upon the faces. There's agony and ecstasy below at the Galway Races. Hey Ruby hold her back, give her the crack and up she'll go.
It's there you'll see gentility, sheep dressed up like mutton. There's double barrelled names with more airs than old melodeons The talk is all of tillage, of silage and conacre, And there goes Tracy Piggott to the saddling enclosure. Hey Ruby hold her back, give her the crack and up she'll go.
Sir John Mucksavage-Smythe is there with Smurfits and O'Reillys, The owners and the trainers, the stable boys and jockeys With silk around their arses getting up on rich men's horses, Not to mention wives and daughters and marriages and divorces. Hey Ruby hold her back, give her the crack and up she'll go.
There's Celtic helicopters and land bank speculators, There's builders, developers, crocodiles and alligators. They're flocking around the Galway tent like seagulls in a frenzy Poor Beverley peels the spuds, poor Bertie skims the gravy. Hey Ruby hold he back, give her the crack and up she'll go.
The little Micky Fingletons and the Seanie Fitzpatricks, Oh them is the boys to run the bank, their wages are fantastic. They're hedging their bets in doubles, trebles and accumulators, And knowing the blinkers have gone on the financial regulators. Hey Ruby hold her back give her the crack and up she'll go.
Oh Thursday it's the Ladies' Day and the women all look smashing, They're lashing on the lipstick, Philip Treacy's all the fashion. You can see the liposuction, botox and augmentation, Brazilian crewcuts and colonic irrigation. Hey Ruby hold her back, give her the crack and up she'll go.
Then everyone's out to Salthill for the craic and for the porter. There's bookies laying odds on two flies walking up the wall. There's fiddles and trad, they're disco mad, karaoke and set dances, And some of us who'd seen better days were looking to take our chances. Hey Ruby hold her back, give her the crack and up she'll go.
She's galloping down the back straight, Ruby has her in a canter. Ah look at her lep the jumps, by God, she's like a ballet-dancer. They're over the last, she hits the front, nothing's going to pass her. It's 'Winner All Right', 'Up Kildare!', 'Follow Me Up To Carlow', Hey Ruby hold her back, give her the crack and up she'll go. Hey Ruby Walsh hold her back, give her the crack and up she'll go.
There's Bethlehem and Cheltenham and Lourdes and Limerick Junction, The trip to Medjagoria, the rub of the extremunction. Good people climb Croagh Patrick with serenity on their faces, But Ruby Walsh he saved me life below at the Galway Races. Ruby hold her back, give her the craic and up she'll go.
They're under starters orders, Ted Walsh is commentating, Ruby's up on the favourite, she'll take some 'batin'. Necks are craned and eyes are strained, there's fear upon the faces. There's agony and ecstasy below at the Galway Races. Hey Ruby hold her back, give her the crack and up she'll go.
It's there you'll see gentility and sheep dressed up like mutton. There's double barrelled names with more airs than old melodeons. The talk is all of tillage, of silage and conacre. I fancy Tracy Piggot in the saddling enclosure. Hey Ruby hold her back, give her the crack and up she'll go.
Sir John Mucksavage-Smythe is there with Smurfits and O'Reillys, The owners and the trainers, and the stable boys and jockeys With silk around their arses getting up on rich men's horses Not to mention wives and daughters and marriages and divorces. Hey Ruby hold her back, give her the craic and up she'll go.
There's Celtic helicopters, land bank speculators, Builders and developers, crocodiles and alligators. Soldiers of Destiny, they're in a fevered frenzy. Them boys would eat the Lamb Of God and come back for the gravy. Hey Ruby hold her back, give her the craic and up she'll go.
Thursday is the Ladies' Day and the women all look smashing, They're lashing on the lipstick, Philip Tracy's all the fashion. You can see the liposuction, the botox and augmentation, Brazilian haircuts, colonic irrigation. Hey Ruby hold her back, give her the craic and up she'll go.
And everyone's out to Salthill for the craic and for the porter, There's bookies making odds on two flies walking up the wall. There's folk and trad and they're disco mad, karaoke and set dances, While some of us who'd seen better days were looking to take our chances. Hey Ruby hold her back, give her the craic and up she'll go.
They're galloping down the back straight, he has her in a canter, Ah look at her lep the jumps, by God, she's like a ballet-dancer. They're over the last, she hits the front, no other is going to pass her. 'Winner All Right', it's 'Up Kildare!', 'Follow me up to Carlow'. Hey Ruby hold her back, give her the craic and up she'll go. Hey Ruby hold her back, give her the craic and up she'll go. "
Christy Moore's tribute to Ruby Walsh who 'saved me life' at the Galway Races.
There's Bethlehem and Cheltenham and Lourdes and Limerick Junction, The trip to Medjagoria, the rub of the Extreme Unction. Good people climb Croagh Patrick with serenity on their faces, But Ruby Walsh he saved me life below at the Galway Races. Ruby hold her back, give her the crack and up she'll go.
They're under starters orders, Ted Walsh is commentating, Ruby's up on the favourite, she'll take some 'batin'. Necks are craned and eyes are strained, there's fear upon the faces. There's agony and ecstasy below at the Galway Races. Hey Ruby hold her back, give her the crack and up she'll go.
It's there you'll see gentility and sheep dressed up like mutton. There's double barrelled names with more airs than old melodeons. The talk is all of tillage, of silage and conacre. I fancy Tracy Piggot in the saddling enclosure. Hey Ruby hold her back, give her the crack and up she'll go.
Sir John Mucksavage-Smythe is there with Smurfits and O'Reillys, The owners and the trainers, and the stable boys and jockeys With silk around their arses getting up on rich men's horses Not to mention wives and daughters and marriages and divorces. Hey Ruby hold her back, give her the crack and up she'll go.
There's Celtic helicopters, land bank speculators, Builders and developers, crocodiles and alligators. Soldiers of Destiny, they're in a fevered frenzy. Them boys would eat the Lamb Of God and come back for the gravy. Hey Ruby hold her back, give her the crack and up she'll go.
Thursday is the Ladies' Day and the women all look smashing, They're lashing on the lipstick, Philip Treacy's all the fashion. You can see the liposuction, the botox and augmentation, Brazilian haircuts, colonic irrigation. Hey Ruby hold her back, give her the crack and up she'll go.
And everyone's out to Salthill for the crack and for the porter, There's bookies making odds on two flies walking up the wall. There's folk and trad and they're disco mad, karaoke and set dances, While some of us who'd seen better days were looking to take our chances. Hey Ruby hold her back, give her the crack and up she'll go.
They're galloping down the back straight, he has her in a canter, Ah look at her lep the jumps, by God, she's like a ballet-dancer. They're over the last, she hits the front, no other is going to pass her. 'Winner All Right', it's 'Up Kildare!', 'Follow me up to Carlow'. Hey Ruby hold her back, give her the craic and up she'll go. Hey Ruby hold her back, give her the crack and up she'll go.
Ladies Day at the Galway Races takes place on Thursday of the Summer Festival (Galway Hurdle Day).
In 2008, the Best Dressed Person competition, sponsored by Anthony Ryan Ltd of Shop Street Galway, had a prize for first place of €4,000 cash, €2,000 Anthony Ryan Ltd vouchers, a diamond necklace valued at €6,000 and a Louise Kennedy crystal vase.
Ladies Day at Galway Races 2009 will be taking place during the economic recession. Galway ladies will, we are sure, respond with their customary flair, imagination and resourcefulness to the credit crunch fashion challenge.
Let's hope that the prizes presented with characteristic generosity by Anthony Ryan Ltd will once again reward the ladies for their unstinting efforts.
Shed a crocodile tear for the days of the Fianna Fail Tent at the Galway Races when Bertie Ahern was in his pomp and the Celtic Tiger was rampant.
Galway Races. New records year after year. Attendances up. Drink sales up. Betting turnover up. Traffic tailbacks. Car parks full. 'No Vacancies' in hotels or B&Bs. Full capacity grandstands. Helicopter rides for the hoi polloi. The 24/7 party in full strutting, stereophonic swing.
And inside the iconic Galway Races Tent, ruddy-faced builders with 46 inch waists crammed into 34 inch belts. Button-popping paunches in Desperate Dan trousers. Stratospheric bank loans. Concrete brains and feet of clay.
Money-brandishing crowds milling around the champagne and oyster bars. Johnny-come-lately racehorse syndicates thronging the parade ring, back-slapping 'their' trainers and pulling faces at the television cameras.
Paper millionaires, with mobile phones welded to their ears, cavorting like chimpanzees while old-money race-goers tutted their disapproval from afar.
"Why does one never see Aidan O'Brien, John Oxx or Kevin Prendergast at the Galway Races?" asks a tweed-jacketed bystander.
But what of Galway Races 2009?
The Fianna Fail Tent is gone. Cast into the abyss of history by Bertie's successor, Taoiseach Brian Cowen.
Unemployment is at unprecedented levels (326,000 and rising). Hundreds of companies in the private sector are closing down; thousands more are struggling to survive.
120,000 public sector workers protesting against pension levies. Emigration rocketing. Car sales plummeting. Property prices in freefall.
Thousands of shoppers speeding 'unpatriotically' to Newry to take advantage of 'real world' prices.
Racehorse trainers receiving cancellation calls from cash-strapped builders who had instructed them to purchase four-legged status symbols with swishing tails.
"Paula Mulroe, former head of development at the Film Board and senior script editor on ‘The Clinic’, has recently finished working as a script editor on ‘The Galway Races’, a TV drama for TG4."
Source: IFTN Irish Film and Television Network 02 February, 2009
To view a list of all Cheltenham Gold Cup Winners and Sir Peter O'Sullivan commentating on 27 Gold Cup finishes between 1963 and 1990, please visit Cheltenham Gold Cup.
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