28-07-2025
Davy Crockett emulates half-brother Mystical Power
While there is no shortage of race meetings on a calendar which more than adequately fills each month, it has been a feature of this year that the festivals have held up particularly well in terms of attendances. If the opening day of the Galway festival was a reliable guide, racing is in for another bumper week, as the impressive crowd figure of 18,472 was up almost 1,400 on the same day in 2024.
The racing got underway with the Galmont Hotel Novice Hurdle and, two years on from when his half-brother, Mystical Power, won the same race, Davy Crockett made a winning start over hurdles for Willie Mullins, JP McManus, and Mark Walsh.
Quite whether he has the scope to emulate his sibling, who won two Grade One novice hurdles and finished runner-up in a Supreme Novices' Hurdle, remains to be seen, but this was a positive follow on to his smooth bumper success.
'I was very happy with how efficient his jumping was, except for the mistake at the second-last,' said Mullins. 'For a horse having his first run over hurdles, 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.'
The second odds-on favourite of the evening came in the shape of Constitution River, who was backed from a high of 1-2 to a starting price of 1-5 for the Eventus Irish EBF Maiden.
Having run €1.9 million breeze-up purchase Distant Storm to a short head in a Newmarket maiden on his only previous outing, he was entitled to be a strong favourite — and he duly obliged.
By remarkable sire Wootton Bassett and out of a full sister to Wonderful Tonight, who won Group 1s over 12 and 14 furlongs, he is a tremendous middle-distance prospect for next season.
Said Ballydoyle representative Chris Armstrong: 'Ryan really liked him at Newmarket and with normal improvement you'd think he would put up a good display. In fairness, he was very green around here, and Wayne (Lordan) said he was just looking at the camera on the inside, but he went to the line with plenty still left in him. He's a colt that has a touch of class and one to look forward going into the second half of the season. He now puts himself into the Futurity mix, with the rest of them.'
Jessica Harrington seldom leaves this meeting without some visits to the winner's circle, and that box was ticked early this year as the progressive Jerrari, given a fine ride by Donagh Meyler, took the Iggy Daly Easyfix Handicap Hurdle.
Galway native David Loughnane, who trains in Britain, saddled his first winner at the meeting when It'sneverujustone, ridden by Declan McDonogh, got on top late and ultimately won the Clayton Hotel Galway Handicap quite cosily.
Brothers Donnacha and Joseph O'Brien dominated the finish to the GRA Chocolates Handicap, and it was the former who came out on top, winning with the Paddy Harnett-trained Kilmeaden.
Andy Slattery can't be kept out of the winner's enclosure and Gomez Addams came as no surprise to the trainer when he made a winning debut, under Adam Ryan, in the Monami Construction Bumper.
'We expected it,' admitted Slattery. 'The horse (Gameball) that won the other day in Ballinrobe he has been working with, and we like this lad. He's a big horse that would go better on softer ground, but he has an engine. He's done nothing but improve and impress in every gallop.
'I've only about 10 National Hunt horses but I have quality, good bumper horses. A half-brother of this fella runs on Thursday, called Parnell Street, and he has a good chance too.'
