Sports
Mullins’ powerful raiding party poised for record haul at Olympics of jump racing
NICKY Henderson’s record haul of seven winners – headlined by Champion Chase hero Finian’s Rainbow – at the 2012 Cheltenham National Hunt Festival is at the mercy of Willie Mullins’ powerful string next week if the ante post prices for many of the meeting’s 27 races are taken as a reliable guide.
Though the bookmaking industry is regularly prone to wild bouts of exaggeration, pre-festival fears about a financial wipe out for the layers, especially on Cheltenham’s opening day, are hardly misplaced and there could be carnage in the betting ring as Ireland’s champion trainer is set to unleash a string of ‘hot pots’ in the Cotswolds.
Having saddled a total of nine winners at the last two Cheltenham festivals and crowned the meeting’s top trainer in three of the last four years, Mullins’ growing dominance of National Hunt racing’s showcase event has the potential to reach unparalleled levels in 2015.
Take Monday’s opening day’s card, for instance. As it stands Ireland’s champion trainer is set to saddle four perceived bankers in the shape of Douvan (Supreme Novices), Un De Sceaux (Arkle Chase), Faugheen (Champion Hurdle), and Annie Power (OLBG Mares Hurdle).
Furthermore, Mullins will have strong back up in most of those races while the Co. Carlow based handler has no shortage of artillery to fire at the rest of the festival either as Nicholas Canyon (Neptune Hurdle), Black Hercules (Albert Bartlett), Champagne Fever (Champion Chase or Ryanair), Vautour (JLT Novices Chase), Djakadam (Gold Cup), Don Poli (RSA or National Hunt Chase) and his host of challengers for the festival bumper underline the yard’s current awesome strength indepth.
Even allowing for the fact that Cheltenham in March is the sport’s most competitive arena and there are always unexpected results, Mullins clearly has the potential to rip the record books to shreds next week. He has already saddled a total of 33 winners at the festival, although curiously only five of those triumphs have come over fences.
Against that background, it comes as no surprise that Mullins has yet to savour glory in the meeting’s flagship race – the Gold Cup – but he is likely to be triple-handed this year even if Boston Bob, slightly below top class, and 2014 gallant runner up On His Own are now in the veteran stages.
At the other end of the age spectrum, Djakadam will be striving to become the first six-year-old to land chasing’s blue Riband event since Mill House in 1963. A faller at the top of the hill when still travelling strongly in last year’s JLT and disappointing on his seasonal bow when looking well handicapped in the Hennessy Gold Cup in Newbury last November, the Rich Ricci owned gelding remains in the ‘could be anything’ category.
There are bullish whispers coming from the Mullins stable about Djakadam, especially in the wake of trouncing his rivals off top weight in the Thyestes Chase at Gowran Park last month. It was a foggy afternoon and visibility was seriously restricted, but Ruby Walsh’s mount destroyed the field and could be a real improver even if there remains slight stamina doubts.
The Gold Cup betting is dominated by Silviniaco Conti, a faller at the third last in the 2013 edition before being run out of the places after leading over the final obstacle 12 months ago. Paul Nicholls’ stable star has since undergone treatment for ulcers and has looked an improved performer in the interim, especially when easily retaining the King George in Kempton at Christmas.
Supporters of Silviniaco Conti will be hoping he can make it third time lucky in the Gold Cup and, doubtless, should draw encouragement from The Fellow finally landing chasing’s most prestigious race at the fourth attempt in 1994. Dangers abound, however, not least in the shape of the last two winners of the Galway Plate, Carlingford Lough and Road To Riches.
Both horses have been thriving since their Ballybrit triumphs. Carlingford Lough may have taken longer than anticipated to make his mark over fences, but John Kiely’s charge has tumbled in the betting since getting the better of Foxrock in the Irish Hennessy at Leopardstown in February . . . the same venue where Road To Riches continued a stellar campaign by landing the Lexus Chase at Christmas.
Both Plate heroes go to Cheltenham with obvious chances and are currently trading at shorter odds than defending champion Lord Windermere. Jim Culloty’s nine-year-old edged out On His Own in a messy finish to last year’s Gold Cup, but having also won the RSA in 2013, the horse’s liking for Cheltenham’s undulations shouldn’t be under-estimated. The festival highlight has no amount of genuine contenders, including the progressive Many Clouds, but overall preference is for Holywell.
For more, read this week’s Connacht 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.
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.
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.
Families queue up for school’s offer of free house
West has lower cancer survival rates than rest
Galway minors continue to lay waste to all opponents
Gardaí and IFA issue a joint appeal on summer road safety
Marathon Man plans to call a halt – but not before he hits 160 races
