They're off

IT’S that man again. Dermot Weld, who has made the Galway Races almost his personal property over the past two decades, began this year’s meeting with a vengeance at Ballybrit last evening in front of the second biggest ever crowd to attend the opening session of Ireland’s most popular festival.The Weld bandwagon once again rolled into Ballybrit and swept all before it, including the featured GPT Amateur Handicap with the well supported Majestic Concorde which could now attempt a big race double – last achieved by Athy Spirit in 1990 – in Thursday’s Guinness Galway Hurdle.Not alone did Weld land the Monday evening highlight for the second year running – Loyal Focus was successful 12 months earlier – the Master of Rosewell House went on to complete a staggering 94/1four-timer as Broad Meaning, Ghimaar and bumper winner, Battle In Hand, all came up trumps in front of a bumper attendance of 20,476.Majestic Concorde, one of the market leaders for the big amateur riders’ handicap, always held a prominent position behind the pace-setting Queen Althea and Serpentaria, and once Robbie McNamara set the five-year-old alight coming down the hill, the 7/1 chance was going to take all the catching.Three lengths clear approaching the home turn ........