Sports
O’Brien does the trick again with one of yard’s veterans
VAL O’Brien has a proven track record when it comes to defying the odds with older horses and the Athenry handler underlined his unique ability to successfully prolong the careers of his veterans at Ballybrit last Sunday.
Having turned out Final Tub to win at the ripe old age of 15 and managing the same feat with Half Barrell when 14, O’Brien will see nothing exceptional in saddling the 11-year-old Valours Minion to land the Renvyle House Hotel Handicap Chase on the first day of the Galway October meeting.
But when you consider that Valours Minion only made his racecourse debut as a seven-year-old and was still seeking a first win up to late summer in 2014, O’Brien has really worked miracles with the old-timer in the interim.
After finally getting off the mark in a handicap chase at Killarney last August, Valours Minion went on to win over hurdles at the Galway September meeting before also coming up trumps in another handicap chase at Listowel later that month.
Owned by Val’s brother Sean, Valours Minion continued his startling progress at an age when most horses are heading into decline with his fourth win in less than three months at Galway on Sunday . . . and, amazingly, it was the easiest of them all.
Partnered again by Mark Enright, the 9/2 chance was always travelling smoothly behind pacesetter Whiskey Galore with his sound jumping an obvious advantage in a race in which O’Brien’s neighbour, Martin Cullinane, was bidding to repeat last year’s win with Georgie.
Valours Minion could be called the winner at the bottom of the straight and once Enright asked his in-form mount to push clear inside the final 150 yards, the issue was settled in a matter of strides with Whiskey Galore and Georgie completing the placings.
“He’s really come to himself this year. He also seems to like it around it here and once the ground didn’t go heavy, I knew he had a chance. Naas in a fortnight’s time will probably be it for the season as the ground will probably be gone against him after that,” said O’Brien.
Later on the card, punters saw a most impressive performance from the Dermot Weld’s high class bumper horse, Windsor Park, which turned the www.swordssecurity amateur into a procession, while Peter Fahy’s Bay of Freedom sprung a surprise by easily beating odds on market leader Captain Von Trappe in the concluding T.V. O’Brien Memorial Bumper.
The big Gigginstown Stud operation enjoyed better fortunes with an even stronger favourite, All Hell Let Loose, which romped home at 3/10 in the opening Corrib Oil Maiden Hurdle, but there was a minor upset in the Sanserv Novice Chase with Jim Dreaper’s Cavita Beta rallying to edge out Mister Hotelier after market leader, Un Beau Roman, came to grief at the second last.
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.
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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.
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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.
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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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