O’Brien does the trick again with one of yard’s veterans
VAL O’Brien has a proven track record when it comes to defying the odds with older horses and the Athenry handler underlined his unique ability to successfully prolong the careers of his veterans at Ballybrit last Sunday.
Having turned out Final Tub to win at the ripe old age of 15 and managing the same feat with Half Barrell when 14, O’Brien will see nothing exceptional in saddling the 11-year-old Valours Minion to land the Renvyle House Hotel Handicap Chase on the first day of the Galway October meeting.
But when you consider that Valours Minion only made his racecourse debut as a seven-year-old and was still seeking a first win up to late summer in 2014, O’Brien has really worked miracles with the old-timer in the interim.
After finally getting off the mark in a handicap chase at Killarney last August, Valours Minion went on to win over hurdles at the Galway September meeting before also coming up trumps in another handicap chase at Listowel later that month.
Owned by Val’s brother Sean, Valours Minion continued his startling progress at an age when most horses are heading into decline with his fourth win in less than three months at Galway on Sunday . . . and, amazingly, it was the easiest of them all.
Partnered again by Mark Enright, the 9/2 chance was always travelling smoothly behind pacesetter Whiskey Galore with his sound jumping an obvious advantage in a race in which O’Brien’s neighbour, Martin Cullinane, was bidding to repeat last year’s win with Georgie.
Valours Minion could be called the winner at the bottom of the straight and once Enright asked his in-form mount to push clear inside the final 150 yards, the issue was settled in a matter of strides with Whiskey Galore and Georgie completing the placings.
“He’s really come to himself this year. He also seems to like it around it here and once the ground didn’t go heavy, I knew he had a chance. Naas in a fortnight’s time will probably be it for the season as the ground will probably be gone against him after that,” said O’Brien.
Later on the card, punters saw a most impressive performance from the Dermot Weld’s high class bumper horse, Windsor Park, which turned the www.swordssecurity amateur into a procession, while Peter Fahy’s Bay of Freedom sprung a surprise by easily beating odds on market leader Captain Von Trappe in the concluding T.V. O’Brien Memorial Bumper.
The big Gigginstown Stud operation enjoyed better fortunes with an even stronger favourite, All Hell Let Loose, which romped home at 3/10 in the opening Corrib Oil Maiden Hurdle, but there was a minor upset in the Sanserv Novice Chase with Jim Dreaper’s Cavita Beta rallying to edge out Mister Hotelier after market leader, Un Beau Roman, came to grief at the second last.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.