DANNY’S THE SHINING LIGHT
Fleming confident Tully East has enough for the final slog
RIVEN LIGHT returned from a lengthy absence to win the valuable COLM QUINN BMW Mile Handicap for the second successive year at Galway. The Willie Mullins-trained six-year-old was last seen competing in Group One company in Australia in October, where he picked up a serious leg injury. In the end, the 11-1 chance — ridden by Danny Mulins — stayed on powerfully to beat Aidan O’Brien’s Bond Street by threequarters of a length, becoming just the second horse to win back-to-back runnings of the race. Mullins said: ‘This horse suffered a fracture in Australia and it was touch and go whether he’d even live or not. ‘He had two screws inserted in his leg, but they had to come out eventually and all we were doing coming here was hoping. It’s a huge surprise.’
ALAN FLEMING believes Tully East has plenty going for him ahead of his bid for glory in thetote.com Galway Plate.
The eight-year-old has run just five times since winning at the 2017 Cheltenham Festival. He rounded off last season with a fine run to finish third at the inaugural Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown and made his first appearance since in the Grimes Hurdle at Tipperary in July, finishing eighth.
Fleming feels that run will leave his charge spot on for the ¤250,000 feature on day three and is confident of a bold showing.
‘He’s in as good a form as we can get him and we just have to hope for a bit of luck on the day,’ he said.
‘He has plenty of pace and I think he’ll enjoy the track. You’ve got to stay well – it’s turns into a bit of a slog from the final fence.’
Peter Fahey is looking forward to saddling his stable star Peregrine Run. The King’s Theatre gelding finished third in a novice chase at this meeting a year ago and warmed up for his return by finishing fourth on the Flat behind the high-class Wicklow Brave.
Slowmotion was third in last year’s Galway Plate and returns as one of four runners for leading owner JP McManus.
Joseph O’Brien fits Slowmotion with blinkers for the first time off the back of finishing fourth in the aforementioned Grimes Hurdle.
Champion trainer Willie Mullins could have as many as six runners.
Alechi Inois, Ballycasey, Koshari, Haymount and Saturnas all made the cut for the 22-strong field.
However, perhaps the yard’s biggest hope is Patricks Park and his connections face a nervous wait to discover he will get a run as the first reserve.
Patricks Park won at the Dublin Racing Festival in February and was last seen scoring at the Punchestown Festival in April.
Patrick Mullins, assistant to his father, said: ‘He has a good cruising speed and he’ll be able to hold his position and jump well at speed.’
Gordon Elliott runs De Plotting Shed, Jury Duty, Clarcam and Lord Scoundrel, while Henry de Bromhead has five contenders in top-weight Sub Lieutenant, Valseur Lido, Calino D’Airy, Devils Bride and Conrad Hastings.
The second and third reserves are The West’s Awake and 2014 Galway Plate hero Road To Riches.