Talking Sport
Gold Cup winner born and bred in Galway
Talking Sport with Stephen Glennon
When 14/1 shot ‘Just A Par’ came from behind to take victory by a length and a quarter in the bet365 Gold Cup in Sandown last Saturday, the jubilation generated by lucky slip holders at the Surrey venue was nothing compared to the celebrations that were sparked off in the East Galway village of Killimor.
Indeed, the world could have tipped on its axis at that moment and not too many around that neck of the woods would have given a hoot for they had just seen a horse born and bred in the locality produce a quality performance to claim first prize of £85,425stg.
In doing so, Just A Par deepened the pockets of many people in Killimor and, indeed, Kiltormer – no more so than that of breeder Sean Whelan. That said, for him, the win was not about collecting winnings. For him, it was a source of great pride.
“For a small breeder from the West of Ireland, that a horse would go along and would win the 365 Gold Cup is great. We are extremely proud of the horse,” says the Lisdeligna man.
While the Grade 3 National Hunt chase – inaugurated originally as the Whitbread Gold Cup in 1957 – may not carry the same prestige as the Cheltenham Gold Cup or the Aintree Grand National, the race’s roll of honour boasts some of the greatest racehorses of all-time.
Among those to bound into the winners’ enclosure have been Arkle (1965), Mill House (1967) – trained by Fulke Walwyn, who won the Whitbread Gold Cup an impressive seven times – and Desert Orchid (1988), all of which have secured their status in the pantheon of greats.
At any rate, Whelan is ecstatic that his former charge has inscribed his name in Sandown’s roll of honour. “I bred the horse. I bred him here in Killimor,” confirms Whelan as he begins his story.
“I had a mare here and John and Rita Lynch down in Coxtown in Kiltormer had a stallion (Island House). We bred the foal and he was always a nice looking foal. We set up a syndicate and gave him to TJ Nagle in Cork to train him.
“So, his first outing was a point-to-point in Dromahane and he was second in that. Then we brought him to our local point-to-point in Dartfield in Loughrea and he won that by six or seven lengths. That was 2012.”
Strongly fancied at the County Galway Hunt Blazers’ meeting, Just A Par had faced stiff opposition in Rare Legend in pre-race betting. However, when the home straight was hit, it was Just A Par, under jockey Richard O’Dea, which was well out in front on the gallop home.
By this stage, the syndicate – which included Whelan’s wife Carmel, John Lynch and his wife Rita, and extended family – began to realise they had something special on their hands. They began to discuss their options.
“We were going to bring him to the sales straight away and we decided, or rather TJ Nagle decided, to run him in Punchestown in a maiden hurdle and he won that by six lengths again,” outlines the Killimor man, noting the horse ran in the colours of Nagle.
“Then Brightswell were onto us to take him over to the sales, so we took him over and he was sold. Paul Nicholls (trainer) bought him on behalf of Paul Barber and Graham Roach and we got £260,000stg for him.”
No doubt, Just A Par’s triumph from a field of 10 in The Children’s Referendum Maiden Hurdle at Punchestown in November 2012 added value, and this was recognised at the sales as Nicholls and Tom Taaffe went head-to-head to acquire the bay gelding.
For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.
Inside Track with John McIntyre
THE dramatic finale at the Sportsground on Saturday ought to have made the RTE Six One News sporting headlines, but there wasn’t a mention of Connacht’s extraordinary late heroics against Gloucester which keeps the province’s hopes of reaching the European Champions Cup quarter-finals alive.
Instead, the rugby spotlight was on Munster’s away defeat to champions Saracens. Later during the sports segment on the Six One News, Connacht’s never-say-die comeback was relegated to the last match of the Champions Cup wrap up. RTE, in their wisdom, believed that Munster’s 15-6 loss and Leinster’s routing of a makeshift Northampton on the same day were somehow more meritorious.
If Leinster or Munster had achieved what Connacht did in the latest round of European pool matches, can you imagine how gushing RTE’s coverage would have been? When a Tipperary man with a strong GAA background starts taking offence over Connacht not getting the coverage they are entitled to, it does give an insight into why rugby in the West feels hard done by in terms of national acclaim.
For all that, last Saturday was another thumping experience on College Road. With their European Championship knock-out ambitions on the line, it was victory or bust for Caolin Blade and company. But when Connacht trailed by 24-13 with less than six minutes remaining, it was impossible to see how they could salvage a result.
A pragmatic Gloucester already had the four-try bonus point in the bag. They may have trailed 10-7 at the break having faced the elements, but tries from Mark Atkinson (two) and captain Lewis Ludlow turned the game on its head. Connacht were remaining competitive but the breaks were going the way of a team they had never previously beaten.
The home fans in the crowd of 6,800 were understandably resigned to the worst. The yellow carding of Ludlow for a deliberate knock on meant Gloucester were reduced to 14 for the closing minutes, but nobody at the Sportsground thought much of it. Connacht were 11 points behind with time running out. They needed a miracle.
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Inside Track with John McIntyre
MICHEÁL Donoghue faces the biggest challenge of his management career so far after Galway’s latest subdued display of 2019 at Pearse Stadium last Sunday. A lot of the same personnel are still there from the team’s magnificent All-Ireland triumph of two years, but the form of a number of influential players has nose-dived since last September’s championship loss to Limerick.
After a late collapse against Waterford in the National League quarter-final, Galway had some questions to answer ahead of their Leinster campaign and not withstanding their significant injury problems over the past few months, the Tribesmen’s stock has continued to decline judging by this month’s displays against both Carlow and Wexford.
Though it’s far from a full-blown crisis and we must keep a sense of perspective, there’s no point being wise after the event. On the evidence of what have seen to date this summer, Galway are dicing with an unexpected premature exit from the championship unless the squad can rediscover the hunger, intensity and quality which characterised many of their performances in 2017.
The continued absence of Joe Canning – and it is a mighty blow – can’t explain everything. Sure, Daithí Burke, Joseph Cooney, Jonathan Glynn, Adrian Tuohey and John Hanbury, an important introduction against Wexford, remain short of competitive action, but as a package, Galway should still be better than this.
Failing to find the net against either Carlow or Wexford, together with the lack of fluency and sharpness, has some local alarm bells ringing, leaving the team management with plenty to ponder on ahead of Sunday week’s big collision with Kilkenny. Lose that and Galway’s season will hang on getting a result at Parnell Park – an unforgiving venue at the best of times.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
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and county. It’s completely FREE and features all the latest news, sport and information on what’s on in your area. Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
Talking Sport with Stephen Glennon
WHAT was meant to be a few minutes of soundbite ahead of St. Thomas’ All-Ireland senior club hurling semi-final clash against Cushendall on Saturday has metamorphosed into a full-scale Talking Sport interview. Simply, because, Claude Geoghegan is an interesting guy.
For the past decade, Geoghegan has been the man behind the scenes and in his own inimitable way he has contributed just as much to St. Thomas’s success story as anybody else in Kilchreest and Peterswell. Perhaps, even more so.
As club secretary, he presided over St. Thomas’ historic county and All-Ireland club victories in the 2012/2013 season while, in the past three years, he has served as selector under managers John Burke and Kevin Lally, winning a county senior crown with each in 2016 and 2018 respectively. It is a proud record.
“I have held a few positions alright over the best part of a decade now — four or five years as secretary — and this is my third year involved now with the senior team. It is a way of life, I suppose, more than anything else,” begins the 31-year-old.
“When you are from a rural locality, it is what you are brought up with. It is what you know. If I wasn’t involved in the club in some capacity, I would feel I had a bit too much spare time on my hands. I would feel a bit odd without it, being honest.”
A history teacher at Presentation College, Athenry, Geoghegan explains his family are steeped in GAA tradition. His father Seamus hurled with the club before managing the intermediate team, as it was back then, while his older brother James has also done his duty as club secretary.
“Also, when the club amalgamated in 1968, my father was on the U14 team that won the county championship that year. We actually haven’t won the ‘A’ championship at U14 since. We have won plenty, but not that.”
Indeed, three SHC county titles in the last seven years would suggest that St. Thomas’ is a very special club but Geoghegan argues they are no different to any of the other clubs around. “Every other club is putting in the time that we are putting in. We are not special in any way in comparison to anyone else but we are incredibly fortunate to have a special group of players who have come together at one time.”
For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.
Get the Connacht Tribune Live app
The Connacht Tribune Live app is the home of everything that is happening in Galway City and county. It’s completely FREE and features all the latest news, sport and information on what’s on in your area. Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
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