Davy Crockett collects on hurdling bow at Galway

South Wales Guardian

5 days ago

The Willie Mullins-trained four-year-old is a son of dual Derby hero Camelot out of Champion Hurdle-winning mare Annie Power, making him a half-brother to dual Grade One victor Mystical Power, who landed this Galway Festival curtain-raiser two years ago.
Easy winner of a Punchestown bumper on his debut in early June, the 1-2 favourite to make a successful transition to the jumping game raised brief concerns for his supporters two out, but knuckled down well for Mark Walsh in the straight to beat Mick Collins by two and a half lengths.
Mullins said: 'I was very happy with how efficient his jumping was except, for the mistake at the second-last. For a horse having his first run over hurdles and just the second run of his career, I was very pleased with him.
'We'll just keep going down the novice hurdle route and hopefully he might make into a Royal Bond horse. He could go to Listowel before then.'
Mullins also paid tribute to training great Edward O'Grady, who died on Sunday at the age of 75.
He added: 'Edward was someone that back in the day we looked up to. He was the foremost trainer going to Cheltenham – when no one (from Ireland) was having runners or winners in Cheltenham, he was having one or two of them every year.
'People forget how difficult it was for Irish trainers to bring horses across and win and Edward had fantastic horses. He had a great Galway connection of course with Golden Cygnet, owned by Ray Rooney who was chairman here in Galway.
'He'll be sorely missed in Irish racing.'
Davy Crockett is owned by JP McManus, who also paid tribute to O'Grady, with whom he had a long association.
McManus said: 'No doubt he was an amazing trainer. I went to him in '78.
'I remember Jack Of Trumps won in Punchestown as a five-year-old carrying 12st in the Jameson Gold Cup which was a handicap then.
'We went on to win the Galway Plate that year in '78 (with Shining Flame).
'We had many great days with the likes of Bit Of A Skite, Mucklemeg and Time For A Run.
'Edward was always very good to his staff and very kind to everybody.
'When Edward fancied a horse you didn't need to have money, all you needed to have was credit because they nearly always delivered. His record was second to none at that time.
'He was a great judge of a horse and he will be missed.'
Elsewhere, Constitution River confirmed the promise of his debut run to land the Eventus Irish EBF (C & G) Maiden with real authority.
Contrary To Law attempted to keep tabs on Aidan O'Brien's runner up front, but he was shrugged off with some ease, as were the rest, as the imposing Wootton Bassett colt powered to a three-and-three-quarter-length triumph under Wayne Lordan, as odds of 1-5 suggested he would.
A €400,000 purchase as a yearling, the winner – who is out of a sister to the top-class racemare Wonderful Tonight – just missed out to the Charlie Appleby-trained Distant Storm at the Newmarket July meeting, when the pair were nicely clear of the third.
O'Brien's representative Chris Armstrong said: 'He had a very good run in a nice maiden in Newmarket and with normal improvement coming here you'd think he'd put up a good display.
'He was very green and Wayne said he was looking at the camera on his inside, but he went to the line with plenty still left in him. The experience around here will do him the world of good.
'He's a colt with a touch of class and is one to look forward to going into the second half of the season. I suppose he puts himself into the Futurity mix with the rest of them and the lads will divide them up and see where they go.'