Almela romps home in feature race at Ballybrit

TOUCHED off by stablemate Zhukova in the race 12 months ago, odds-on favourite Almela made no mistake in her second crack at the listed Ardilaun Hotel Oyster Stakes on the opening evening of the Galway September meeting at Ballybrit on Monday.

The Dermot Weld trained four-year-old had also filled the runner-up spot on her two starts since at Naas and Leopardstown respectively, but the 8/11 market leader proved a class apart from her ten rivals on returning to Galway for this €55,000 contest.

Settled in mid-division by champion jockey Pat Smullen, Almela took closer order on the approach to the straight and hit the front from Fact Or Folklore outside the furlong pole, keeping on well to score eased down by four and three parts of a length.

Dual-purpose performer Morga came out of the pack to take the runners-up position under Chris Hayes , with 33/1 outsider Fact Or Folklore two and a half lengths back in third for in-form yard of Willie McCreery, the former Kildare midfielder.

Winning rider Smullen said afterwards: “It was a horrible race to ride in; it was stop-start and there was no rhythm to it, but she is a filly that gets further than this trip and it forced my hand to commit a bit sooner than ideal.

“She was different class to those and she can now go up in trip and up in grade and hopefully can keep progressing.” Almela could now be heading to Ascot for either the British Champion Fillies Stakes or the Long Distance Cup.

Wed and Smullen completed a successful trip West when the heavily supported Massayan improved considerably for the step up in distance by landing the concluding Sean Cleary Memorial Maiden. There may have only been a neck in at the line, but the 6/5 favourite was always holding the renewed effort of Burning Sword inside the final 75 yards.

Full coverage in this week’s Connacht Tribune.