Sports
Jockey Roche hits jackpot in Weld’s 636/1 four-timer
BALLYBRIT specialist Dermot Weld swept the boards with a sparkling 636/1 four-timer on the opening afternoon of the three-day Galway September meeting on Monday.
Not alone that, but Weld had the extra satisfaction of saddling the first two home in the featured €55,000 Ardilaun Hotel Oyster Stakes when the Leigh Roche partnered Zhukova sprung a minor 7/1 surprise in edging out stablemate Almela.
Punters had sent off Pat Smullen’s mount the well backed evens favourite after romping home by 19 lengths on her debut run at the summer festival, but Almela was unable to withstand the persistent challenge of Zhukova which prevailed by a head.
Roche, who bagged three winners at Galway’s recent festival meeting, was thrilled by his second career listed success. “The three runs she had stood to her as that experience was vital in the end. She’s still a bit green, but travelled well.”
Weld, who was landing the Oyster Stakes for the first time since Mutakarrim prevailed in 2001, introduced a potentially high class newcomer in Ebediyin in the opening Donnelly’s of Barna Maiden as the 6/1 chance stayed on stoutly to grab Cole Porter near the line.
The first-time application of blinkers helped to get Simannka, the 9/4 favourite, off the mark in the Irish Stallion Farm Fillies Maiden, while the Weld yard completed a memorable four-timer with the consistent Alveena in the concluding Sean Cleary Memorial Maiden.
The rest of the card saw the progressive Johann Bach, trained by Patrick Harney, run out a comfortable 8/1 winner of the Galway Bay Golf Resort Handicap to supplement a recent success at Gowran Park.
In the James P. Cunningham Handicap, John Murphy’s Best Not Argue turned the tables on well-backed favourite Ibergmen from their summer festival clash in coming home a length clear from the always prominent Splashtop.
Top weight Shamar and Ross Coakley pulled off a 25/1 surprise in the Galway Apprentice Handicap as both the heavily supported pair, Ridestan and One Cool Poet, finished out of the places on the yielding ground in front of a small attendance.
The highlight of Tuesday’s card was the Ballybrit Novice Chase which saw the Jessica Harrington trained Rock The World display plenty of resolution in keeping the persistent challenge of main market rival, The Game Changer, at bay.
Barry Geraghty had forced the pace on the 11/10 favourite, but the combination looked a sitting duck as The Game Changer appeared to be travelling much the better entering the straight only to be outbattled on the climb to the line with Upazo a never threatening third.
It proved a rewarding card for local trainers with the in-form Val O’Brien yard coming up trumps with Abarta in the Colm Quinn BMW Handicap Chase despite still having five rivals to pass after clearing the last fence in the dip.
But Paul Carberry never panicked on the 5/1 market leader and the nine-year-old stormed up the hill to edge out both Heavenly Brook and Shield. It was Abarta’s fifth career success and like many of O’Brien string, continues to improve with age.
For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.
Galway 3-18
Cork 1-10
NEW setting; new opposition; new challenge. It made no difference to the Galway minor hurlers as they chalked up a remarkable sixth consecutive double digits championship victory at Semple Stadium on Saturday.
The final scoreline in Thurles may have been a little harsh on Cork, but there was no doubting Galway’s overall superiority in setting up only a second-ever All-Ireland showdown against Clare at the same venue on Sunday week.
Having claimed an historic Leinster title the previous weekend, Galway took a while to get going against the Rebels and also endured their first period in a match in which they were heavily outscored, but still the boys in maroon roll on.
Beating a decent Cork outfit by 14 points sums up how formidable Galway are. No team has managed to lay a glove on them so far, and though Clare might ask them questions other challengers haven’t, they are going to have to find significant improvement on their semi-final win over 14-man Kilkenny to pull off a final upset.
Galway just aren’t winning their matches; they are overpowering the teams which have stood in their way. Their level of consistency is admirable for young players starting off on the inter-county journey, while the team’s temperament appears to be bombproof, no matter what is thrown at them.
Having romped through Leinster, Galway should have been a bit rattled by being only level (0-4 each) after 20 minutes and being a little fortunate not to have been behind; or when Cork stormed out of the blocks at the start of the second half by hitting 1-4 to just a solitary point in reply, but there was never any trace of panic in their ranks.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
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GALWAY United need to guard against any kind of complacency when they make the short hop down the M18 this Friday to take on Treaty United at the Markets Field (7.45pm).
The game is a meeting of the two form teams in the division, and as in previous meetings between the sides, will have an additional edge given the number of former United players in the home side’s ranks, and the pair of Limerick lads playing for United.
There might have been just the eight meetings between the sides since Treaty became the latest iteration to represent Limerick in the League of Ireland in 2021, and while United have yet to lose to the men in the candy-cane strips, there has never been more than a goal in four of their eight wins.
The most recent of those was back in February, when Rob Slevin scored the only goal of the game in Eamonn Deacy Park after a tough battle against a side who made a slow start to the season, before finally finding their groove in the past month.
Having taken just three points from their first six games before finally getting a win against Longford Town, they reverted to type with just one point from their next three games, but are now on a run of four wins on the spin, scoring 12 goals and conceding just one.
Their most recent win was a 3-0 victory away to Longford Town last Saturday, and they could have won by double that against the only side to have beaten United this season. That in itself is a warning.
For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.
Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App
Download the Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App to access to Galway’s best-selling newspaper.
Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
Or purchase the Digital Edition for PC, Mac or Laptop from Pagesuite HERE.
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.
Soccer Wrap with Mike Rafferty
While the Salthill Devon men’s team might have lost their grip on the Connacht Junior Cup that they held for two seasons, the club’s women’s side have picked up the mantle and on Sunday last in Headford were crowned provincial champions with a 4-3 win over Manulla.
Following midweek wins for Maree/Oranmore and Knocknacarra, the stage is now almost set for the semi-finals of the Michael Byrne Cup with Salthill Devon meeting St Bernard’s on Sunday in an outstanding quarter-final, with the winners advancing to a semi-final against Maree/Oranmore, while Colga will face Knocknacarra in the other last four contest.
Just one league issue remains to be decided, with the Championship runners-up position up for grabs, as Dynamo Blues have to win their two remaining games in order to overtake Colemanstown United who have finished their programme.
WOMEN’S CONNACHT CUP FINAL
Salthill Devon 4
Manulla 3
Ellerose O’Flaherty scored twice as Salthill Devon were crowned provincial champions with a win over a Mayo side who were losing in the final for the second year in succession.
Backboned by a number of players who previously had League of Ireland experience with Galway WFC, Devon suffered an early set back when Jess Nolan put Manulla ahead, before O’Flaherty levelled matters with a cracking finish on 20 minutes, which was quickly followed by a long-range free-kick from Aoife Walsh.
For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.
Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App
Download the Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App to access to Galway’s best-selling newspaper.
Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
Or purchase the Digital Edition for PC, Mac or Laptop from Pagesuite HERE.
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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