Galway trainers hit the jackpot in jumps action

GALWAY trainer David Ryan came off the cold list when 20/1 chance Call Of The Loon landed the 3m handicap hurdle as the new season at Kilbeggan began last Friday evening.
David Mullins was the man on top as the eight-year-old raced to a clear-cut success in the colours of Patrick Moore, handing the Corofin-based Ryan his first racecourse winner since October 2012.
Held up off the pace by Mullins, Call Of The Loon made up his ground stylishly to get to the front early in the straight and powered clear, eventually winning easily by six-and-a-half lengths from fellow outsider Humps And Bumps.
Ryan, who is more familiar on the Point-to-Point scene, is a brother of Australian-based National Hunt jockey Tom, while his son, Rossa, rides on the flat in the UK where he is attached to the Richard Hannmon yard.
The big-race dream is alive for another Galway trainer Norman Lee, who has a progressive horse on his hands in the shape of Sole Pretender, the winner of the Coast Hotels & Resorts Rated Hurdle at Wexford on Saturday.
Sent to post an 11/8 favourite, Sole Pretender made light work of his rivals under Jack Kennedy, winning by seven and a half lengths. The five-year-old was successful at Ballinrobe two weeks ago and is set to return to the Mayo track for the €50,000 McHale-sponsored handicap hurdle at the end of May.
There was a second Galway training success at the same meeting when Athenry-based Val O’Brien took the second division of the 2m handicap hurdle with Trenchtown Rock, which was ridden by Conor Orr. The six-year-old got to the front before the penultimate flight and scored by a cosy five lengths, his second win at the track.
Meanwhile, Galway jockey Leigh Roche partnered 6/4 favourite Geneticist to land the 7f maiden for Michael O’Callaghan in Limerick on Saturday. Roche made all the running on the three-year-old to score in fine style for the Curragh trainer.