Galway Races get up and running with a Ruby Walsh winner

With a name like Coldstonesober, JR Finn’s runner was destined to finish outside the placings on the opening day of the 51st Guinness Galway Races, which got under way yesterday evening at Ballybrit.

In a week when more than 160,000 punters will descend on the venue to drink 5,000 bottles of champagne and about 100 pints every minute, the omens were not good for Coldstonesober – and he finished 15th in the second race.

But the festival began well for the punters, who will bet an estimated €15 million over the course of the week. They had an odds-on winner with Willie Mullins and Ruby Walsh pulling off a 1/6 win with Muthaza.

There was a strong GAA presence with former Kilkenny All Stars and All-Ireland winning players mingling with current Galway footballers and hurlers.

Kilkenny hurling greats Richie Power, John Tennyson, Tommy Walsh and JJ Delaney were in the parade ring before the first race to promote their Cancer Research Charity match at St Conleth’s Park in Newbridge on August 9th.

It was Power’s first visit to the Galway festival and he said he was looking forward to experiencing what he had heard so much about.

“I wouldn’t normally have come to Galway at all. In the last 15 years I would have been involved with Kilkenny. There’s great crack up here and a great social scene so we want to see what that’s like,” he said.

New manager

This year is the first of Michael Moloney’s reign as manager of the Galway racecourse. He took over from his father, John Moloney, after last year’s festival.

“I have grown up in the racecourse, I have been here since I have been four years of age. So I have seen it all at this stage.”

He was upbeat about the coming week.

“Advanced sales have been up, website traffic has been up and the big crowd here this evening is a good indication that we are going to have a really good week.”

With just one Dermot Weld winner in the first five races, Leone Blanch of Boylesports said it was a good start for the bookies.

“It is 1-0 to the bookies, but there is a long way to go yet,” he said.