Earls’ family put through the ringer at Ballybrit but what a joyous result

THE tension in the air was palpable. Michael Earls was leaning on part of the railing circling the new winners’ enclosure at Ballybrit last Thursday, trying to unscramble his thoughts.

He was understandably a mixed bag of emotions. And guess who was beside him? None other than a former club hurling rival in Kiltormer’s Tony Kilkenny. But they had soldiered together on the Galway senior squad back in the eighties and their friendship still endured.

Earls was puffing as if he had just attempted the four-minute mile. In reality, his stomach was in knots awaiting the result of the Stewards’ Enquiry into a controversial finish to the Guinness Galway Hurdle at Ballybrit.

Ndaawi, the horse he owns with wife Maureen, and sons Niall, Gary and David, had finished runner-up in the race for the second year running, but the first past the post, Helvic Dream, had squeezed the Galway horse on the far rail after the last obstacle.

Initially, it was generally felt that the Noel Meade trained 8/1 chance would keep the race, but the overhead viewing of the finish altered that perspective. Ndaawi, only beaten by a head, had not got an unhindered passage under Jack Kennedy.

The jockey told trainer Gordon Elliott that he was confident Ndaawi would be promoted, and as the enquiry stretched to over 15 minutes, the Earls family became increasingly hopeful, but the stress was nearly unbearable.

Finally, came the announcement that the placings of the first two had been reversed. All hell broke loose in the parade ring as the Earls family celebrated Ndaawi finally “winning” the big race he had been threatening over the past two seasons.

But the sportsman in Michael Earls felt compassion for Meade and the connections of Helvic Dream. “I would spare a thought for them; it was a tough way to lose. It’s the trials and tribulations of sport. Our hearts were in our mouths before the result was announced.”

Winning one of the two biggest races at the Galway Festival is the stuff of fairytales and Earls revealed that there were a couple of days of uninhibited celebrations, starting in the Earl Inn in Kiltulla on the night of the race, and continuing to Moran’s of the Weir the following afternoon.

There were pit stops in Dan’s Bar (Kevin Kelly) and The Fields Bar (John O’Brien) in Athenry as the popular reaction to Ndaawi’s win even took Earls by surprise. “We know how to celebrate out here. We were confident he would run well; we had minded him since last year.”

Pictured: A delighted Michael Earls with jockey Jack Kennedy after Ndaawi was promoted to first place in the Guinness Galway Hurdle at Ballybrit last Thursday. Photo: Iain McDonald.