Galway trainers target Ballybrit
LOCAL trainers will be trying to snare some of the record prizemoney on offer at the upcoming two-day September meeting in Ballybrit.
Galway handlers may have drawn a blank at the big summer festival, but there has been an upturn in their fortunes over the past few weeks.
Steve Mahon, Shane Ryder, Paul Gilligan and Val O’Brien have all hit the target lately, while Craughwell-based Gerry Lynch saddled Miss McIlroy to land the Low Low EBF Mares Handicap Hurdle in Listowel last Sunday.
Lynch, who was seeing the seven-year-old supplement a win in a similar contest in Cork last month, would also have taken some satisfaction from the notable effort of Ashqar in the featured Liam Healy Memorial Lartique Hurdle for four-year-olds at the Kerry track on Tuesday.
Despite running from well out of the handicap, Kevin Brouder’s mount defied his starting odds of 25/1 when coming home an honourable sixth behind Razoul.
Lynch has entered both Miss McIlroy and Ashqar in the €20,000 Deacy Gilligan Mares Hurdle, the highlight of Monday’s eight-race card in Galway.
Local trainers are strongly represented among the entries for a fixture which will get underway at 3.45pm. Tuesday’s all-flat seven-race card will be dominated by the €50,000 Ardilaun Hotel Oyster Stakes, with the action starting at 4.15pm.
For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.
Get the Connacht Tribune Live app The Connacht Tribune Live app is the home of everything that is happening in Galway City and county. It’s completely FREE and features all the latest news, sport and information on what’s on in your area. Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.