Sports
Tigris River can flow to victory in high class edition of Galway Guinness Hurdle
By George McDonagh
THIS year’s editions of the Galway Plate and Guinness Hurdle both boast a superb quality entry as the main powerhouses of Irish racing target success in the twin features of the marathon seven-day festival.
Top weight and 2014 victor Road To Riches will become the highest rated horse ever to run in the Wednesday feature as he shoulders his 11st 10lbs burden, a full stone above his 2014 winning mark. He is worthy of his 163 rating having been placed in both the Gold Cup and Ryanair Chase at the last two Cheltenham Festivals, but comes here after a crashing fall in the Punchestown Gold Cup when in with every chance at the second last.
The ante post market for the third year in succession has seen support for the Charles Byrnes trained Shanpallas which finished fifth last year from a pound higher mark. He has shown a preference for a decent surface, but I think the hill will find his out again.
Last year’s hero Shanahans Turn is back again and along with Saddlers Risk, third 12 months ago, and Home Farm, they give Henry De Bromhead a strong hand in his bid for back-to-back victories. Gordon Elliott and Willie Mullins are both well represented too. Chasing a second success in the Plate, Mullins’ best bet could be course winner and last year’s fourth Aleichi Inois which also needs to prove he can last the 22 furlong trip.
The Elliot entry in numerically strong with Clarcam his highest rated challenger, but the interesting one is Killer Crow, a four time winner, including a good ground Limerick bumper, which ran quite well in the Irish Grand National until his stamina gave way four out. Athough Killer Crow needs at least ten to come out to be certain of a run, he will come into the argument off bottom weight even if a couple of pounds wrong.
Mouse Morris has had a great year with Rogue Angel and Rule The World and in the veteran First Lieutenant, he has a horse which will feel let loose with just 10st 9lbs on his back. He can run into a place for his popular trainer at a huge price and is certainly worth a few quid each-way
Wexford’s Colin Bowe is a trainer who can ready one for the festival and chases his biggest career success with Shantou Flyer, a fine second in the Down Royal Plate trial and he can go well.
But it’s back to the king of Ballybrit, Dermot Weld, I go for to solve the Plate puzzle in the shape of course maiden winner (2012) Three Kingdoms. A seven-time winner in all, of which six were for the John Ferguson yard – three of these over fences – Weld went to 56,000 stg to buy the son of Street Cry back at the Bloomfields Dispersal Sale for Dr Ronan Lambe.
This 149 rated animal has not run over fences since April 2015 but his last three runs were in Grade 1s and his recent effort on the flat at the Curragh was ‘eye catching’ to say the least and with 10st 11lbs on his back, Three Kingdoms gets a narrow vote over Killer Crow and Shantou Flyer.
The Hurdle sees the Tony Martin trained 2015 winner Quick Jack saddled with joint top weight of 11st.10lbs, along with the Willie Mullins trained Bamoko Moriviere, as he attempts to become the first dual winner since Pinch Hitter in 1983.
His task is a huge one from a 12 pound higher mark on his first outing over hurdles since, but is a course specialist and this has been his target all year. Of course, lots has been said and written about the Tony Martin trained Pyromaniac’s run at Killarney recently for which penaltiers were dished out across the board, but if the appeal succeeds he will take all the beating on 10st 11lbs if permitted to take part.
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.
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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