In-form Galway jockeys sweeping all before them

Date Published: {J}

ANY punters following Galway jockeys, both in Ireland and cross-channel, over the weekend must be on good terms with themselves over the past few days. Not alone did Paddy Brennan, Graham Lee and Alain Cawley all visit the winners’ enclosures at Cheltenham, Doncaster and Navan respectively, but they plundered some of the biggest races on the National Hunt scene so far this season.

It was a particularly memorable weekend for Brennan. The Ardrahan man was in superb form at Cheltenham last Saturday where his sparkling treble included one of the featured races on the card, the £150,000 Boylesports.com International Hurdle, as 12/1 chance Khyber King threw a major spanner in the ante-post Champion Hurdle betting market when claiming the scalps of odds on favourite, Celestial Halo, and reigning champion, Punjabi.

A one-time useful flat-racer, Khyber King had become a largely disappointing sort over obstacles despite making an impressive debut in that sphere at Newbury two seasons back. The seven-year-old’s struggles were so marked that he was sent off a 33/1 chance in the County Hurdle at Cheltenham last March and those odds proved realistic as he trailed in 47 lengths behind American Trilogy in 22nd place with only five behind him.

Connections were at a loss to explain Khyber King’s rapid decline over hurdles, but trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies persisted and, in conjunction with Brennan, decided on a change of tactics for the new season – switching the horse off towards the rear of the field. The net result has been a spectacular transformation in Khyber King’s fortunes as he swooped late on his seasonal debut in the Greetwood Hurdle at Cheltenham last month to collar Harry Tricker in the final 100 yards.

But that was only a handicap. On Saturday, Brennan and Khyber King were up against the big boys. There was good reason for Celestial Halo, an heroic second in last season’s Champion Hurdle, being a heavily backed odds on chance as he had given lumps of weight all-round in thrashing his rivals in the Elite Hurdle at Wincanton in November, while trainer Paul Nicholls was bullish about his prospects of another Saturday big-race triumph.

Celestial Halo took over at the head of affairs after the third last as the in-form Ruby Walsh tried to grind the finish out of his rivals. Punjabi initially stayed in touch but, making his seasonal re-appearance, blew up before the last as the patiently ridden Khyber King and Medermit, only a neck second to the Galway owned Go Native in the Supreme Novices Hurdle last March, both moved into contention.

The odds still favoured Celestial Halo, but he ballooned the last and lost some momentum. In contrast, Brennan and Khyber King were still travelling ominously well and sneaking up the inside rail had far too much finishing toe for the favourite in winning going away by two and a quarter lengths. The horse is now a best priced 12/1 for the Champion Hurdle after putting the seal on a memorable day for Brennan.

The Galway jockey had earlier initiated his treble on the Tom George trained Olofi in the opening juvenile hurdle, while he also guided Massini to a comfortable success in the Albert Barlett Novices Hurdle for the same yard. And just to show that Brennan wasn’t sitting on his laurels over the following 24 hours as, the very next day, he guided King Stanley to victory in a handicap hurdle at Hereford.

Up in Doncaster last Saturday, Mervue man Graham Lee proved the jockey to follow. He switched off Watch My Back towards the rear of the field in the Betdaq Handicap Chase before gradually moving into contention up the long straight at Town Moor. By the last, Ferdy Murphy’s highly regarded eight-year-old was in command as the high flying Lee chalked up his tenth win in the space of two weeks.

Better was to come in the featured Betting Exchange Handicap Chase. Calgary Bay from the Henrietta Knight stable was once touted as a Gold Cup candidate, but the six-year-old had lost his way completely, highlighted by finishing last of the 13 finishers at Newbury last month, having being pulled up lame at Uttoxeter before that. In other words, it would have taken a giant leap of faith to back him last Saturday.

Once again, Lee kept his mount towards the rear before making eye-catching progress on the second circuit. Calgary Bay was throwing in some spectacular leaps and coming up the straight, it was clear – barring a mishap – that the 12/1 chance was home and hosed. Having conclusively proves he stays three miles, suddenly Calgary Bay looks a horse with a big future all over again after benefitting from a masterly tactical ride by Lee.

Now, young Alain Cawley has nothing of the experience of his cross-channel based Galway colleagues, but both Brennan and Lee would surely be joining the Craughwell native’s growing fan club if they had the opportunity to tune in to Sunday’s Barry & Sandra Kelly Memorial Novice Hurdle, the highlight of Navan’s card.

Just seven days previously, Cawley had landed his first ever Grade One prize on the Paul Nolan trained Joncol in the John Durkan Memorial Chase and the talented 22-year-old made it two in a week when his retaining stable also sent out Shinrock Paddy to upset three better-fancied market rivals in the two and a half mile contest, won last year by Mikael D’Haguenet.

The small but select field had been taken along by The Hurl, but Cawley made a decisive move approaching the long home straight when sending Shinrock Paddy to the front. He soon had his rivals toiling as the partnership powered home to a convincing success. Cawley’s growing tactical awareness and confidence was highlighted by utilising Shinrock Paddy’s stamina when another jockey might have been content to sit behind until nearer the last obstacle – and who knows what might have happened then? All in all, a magnificent couple of days for Galway jockeys.

For more read page 53 of this week’s Connacht Tribune.