Connacht Tribune
Trainer Ryder is on the mark as Pateen springs a surprise
IT’S been a few years since the Kiltormer area made sporting headlines, but all that changed on the opening evening of the Galway summer festival at Ballybrit thanks to the exploits of local trainer Shane Ryder.
“This is like my Cheltenham,” said the 39-year-old Lawrencetown-based handler after Pateen sprung a 20/1 surprise under three-pound claimer Paddy Kennedy in the Easyfix Handicap Hurdle.
Nibbled at 40/1 in the morning, Pateen was finally backing up his impressive debut victory in a Killarney bumper in May of last year in running out a decisive five and a half lengths winner from the well supported market leader, Artful Artist.
The five-year-old, bred by John Joe Brady in Athenry, was always lying handy in the 20-runner field and went to the front two out before quickly pulling clear. Artful Artist came out of the chasing pack after meeting trouble in running, but never looked like getting on terms.
Mindful of the handicapper’s reaction to Pateen’s emphatic success, Ryder is considering turning out the horse quickly again in a 116-rated handicap hurdle on the closing day of the festival on Sunday if getting the all-clear from owners, Patsy Corcoran and Michael Gilmore from Oranmore.
It was poignant victory, especially coming in Galway, as Patsy’s husband, Dr. Michael Corcoran, who was well known in sporting circles and a keen racing aficiando, sadly passed away in 2016 after a short illness.
“Every local trainer wants to win at the Galway festival and this is my first success here. It’s a nice box to tick and it’s a big boost for the yard,” said Ryder, who is hoping to improve the quality of his 12-strong string in the years ahead and could be represented by the luckless if consistent Garrai Phaidin in the Blazers Chase on Friday.
On a difficult evening for punters with only one favourite obliging and a host of gambles going astray, there were more local celebrations when front-runner Pearl Of The West made short work of her rivals in the Eventus Handicap.
Carrying the colours of Athenry’s Martin Cullinane, a respected local trainer and breeder, Pearl Of The West had little difficulty in supplementing her winnings last time out at Gowran Park.
This progressive sort is trained by Carlow-based Pat Fahy, a native of Athenry, and he may be tempted to step Pearl Of The West up in class by having a crack at the Cork Oaks next. Fahy was ending a long dose of seconditis at the festival since his previous winner, Publican, over a decade ago.
Successful owner Cullinane was delighted his charge, returned at 6/1, came up trumps at his local track. “It’s easier owning them than training them. She stays all day and always runs well.”
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
Significant state investment is required to address ‘shocking’ inequalities that leave cancer patients in the West at greater risk of succumbing to the disease.
A meeting of Regional Health Forum West heard that survival rates for breast, lung and colorectal cancers than the national average, and with the most deprived quintile of the population, the West’s residents faced poorer outcomes from a cancer diagnosis.
For breast cancer patients, the five-year survival rate was 80% in the West versus 85% nationally; for lung cancer patients it was 16.7% in the west against a 19.5% national survival rate; and in the West’s colorectal cancer patients, there was a 62.6% survival rate where the national average was 63.1%.
These startling statistics were provided in answer to a question from Ballinasloe-based Cllr Evelyn Parsons (Ind) who said it was yet another reminder that cancer treatment infrastructure in the West was in dire need of improvement.
“The situation is pretty stark. In the Western Regional Health Forum area, we have the highest incidence of deprivation and the highest health inequalities because of that – we have the highest incidences of cancer nationally because of that,” said Cllr Parsons, who is also a general practitioner.
In details provided by CEO of Saolta Health Care Group, which operates Galway’s hospitals, it was stated that a number of factors were impacting on patient outcomes.
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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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GARDAÍ and the IFA have issued a joint appeal to all road users to take extra care as the silage season gets under way across the country.
Silage harvesting started in many parts of Galway last week – and over the coming month, the sight of tractors and trailers on rural roads will be getting far more frequent.
Inspector Conor Madden, who is in charge of Galway Roads Policing, told the Farming Tribune that a bit of extra care and common-sense from all road users would go a long way towards preventing serious collisions on roads this summer.
“One thing I would ask farmers and contractors to consider is to try and get more experienced drivers working for them.
“Tractors have got faster and bigger – and they are also towing heavy loads of silage – so care and experience are a great help in terms of accident prevention,” Inspector Madden told the Farming Tribune.
He said that tractor drivers should always be aware of traffic building up behind them and to pull in and let these vehicles pass, where it was safe to do so.
“By the same token, other road users should always exercise extra care; drive that bit slower; and ‘pull in’ that bit more, when meeting tractors and heavy machinery.
“We all want to see everyone enjoying a safe summer on our roads – that extra bit of care, and consideration for other roads users can make a huge difference,” said Conor Madden.
He also advised motorists and tractor drivers to be acutely aware of pedestrians and cyclists on the roads during the summer season when more people would be out walking and cycling on the roads.
The IFA has also joined in on the road safety appeal with Galway IFA Farm Family and Social Affairs Chair Teresa Roche asking all road users to exercise that extra bit of care and caution.
“We are renewing our annual appeal for motorists to be on the look out for tractors, trailers and other agricultural machinery exiting from fields and farmyards,” she said.
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.
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
