RACING:MOON DICE shot trainer Paul Flynn into the big time as the 20 to 1 shot recorded a famous victory under jockey Tom Doyle in yesterday's Guinness Galway Hurdle.
The biggest triumph by far for former jockey Flynn since he took out a full licence to train three years ago, Moon Dice was produced to perfection on his first start for almost three months to become the third-longest priced winner of Ireland’s richest jumps race in 20 years.
Much of the attention beforehand surrounded the big-race favourite The Real Article, whose controversial second at Tipperary earlier in the month left him with a theoretical 18lb in hand.
However, having had every chance throughout, he could finish only fourth.
A first winner for Flynn (32), in five weeks, Moon Dice was some 15lb higher in the weights than when he won at Limerick in early May, but he made light of his revised mark under Doyle.
In a race where it paid to be prominent, Moon Dice tracked Monday’s feature event winner, Fosters Cross, in second from the start.
He edged ahead of that rival jumping the last and stayed on well for Doyle in the closing stages to score by four-and-a-half lengths and prompt jubilant celebrations from the seven-member Three Friers Cross Syndicate and their legion of followers.
Flynn, whose biggest wins in the saddle came when he won a Coral Cup and a Hennessy Gold Cup on What’s Up Boys, said: “I was confident he’d run a big race but this is just such a difficult race.
“It was a lot handier riding them: you just turned up, got the riding fee and the percentage and went home.
“The horses have been running crap lately, but that’s probably as good as they are and he’s the best that we have by a very long way. When he won his first race at Limerick last year I said that he was the best horse I’ve had.
“I looked like some fool three runs later, but he’s shown today what he can do and he’s a horse that has to be fresh. I think he’ll be ever better when he goes over fences, but he won’t do that until next season.
“He’ll have a break now and we will look at going to Cheltenham later in the year with him, and there’s a hurdle race in Aintree too which could suit.”
For Doyle this triumph continued a fine run for the jockey who several months ago landed the Guinness Gold Cup on another 20 to 1 shot, Follow The Plan.
“It’s Galway, it’s the richest race of the year, its why you get up every morning to achieve something like this,” reflected Doyle.
“It means a lot to win this for Paul, who I rode with when I was over in England. This horse hasn’t jumped all that well in the past but I felt that if he jumped he could run well.”
Aside from the Galway Hurdle, the day belonged to Dermot Weld who reeled off a four-timer to go with trebles on Tuesday and Wednesday. Weld has now reached last year’s record tally of 11 winners for the meeting with three days to spare.
Another Ballybrit milestone looms for the Rosewell House trainer over the coming days.
The Robbie McNamara-ridden Daffern Seal got the ball rolling as he made a winning start over fences in the beginner’s chase and looks a Plate candidate of the future.
Pat Smullen was on board for the other three winners. First,Rock Critic came back from 11 months off the track to win the extended mile handicap. He will turn out again tomorrow for a premier handicap over seven furlongs.
Anam Allta then picked up the fillies handicap under an excellent ride, and the four-timer was brought up by the injury-plagued Teach Nua in the mile-and-a-half handicap.
It was also a memorable day for Margaret Mullins. She won the novice chase with Down In Neworleans, who was ridden by her son Danny, and then landed the bumper with Cairdin. That one was ridden by her nephew Patrick Mullins.
Elsewhere, the Davy Russell-ridden Tavern Times became Tom Mullins’ second winner of the week in the novice hurdle.
Plenty of punters but smaller bets
WITH the Galway Festival just past halfway the meeting has witnessed a considerable decline in betting turnover with both the Tote and the bookmakers.
“It is too early to form an overall view on the week, but the betting figures have been disappointing and they reflect the general environment in which people have less disposable cash,” said Horse Racing Ireland chief executive Brian Kavanagh.
“In terms of the Tote, the on-course cash flow has been relatively strong, but there has been a falling off in co-mingling from overseas, and on the Tuesday last year the Tote did have a Jackpot carryover which swelled the pool from €50,000 to around €190,000.
“The bookmakers are constantly under pressure against exchanges and the off-course market, and what some of them are saying to us is that the volume of bets is quite similar but that the level of transaction has fallen. In the past someone might have had a €50 bet but they will now have €20 instead.
“What we are seeing has been similar to other major race meetings this year where the customer footfall has been holding up well but that the spend has been reduced,” he concluded.
Yesterday’s attendance in Galway of 42,789 was down 1,629 on last year.
The Tote aggregate of €1,237,579 dropped by just over €90,000, while the €2,754,737 taken in by the bookmakers was €107,056 less than last year.
