Ruby Eases his way back into winning
It will be a wild week out west walsh back in business as he lands the opener
ANY time of the year is a good one to be in Galway, but this week is particularly special.
The city is overtaken by a party that runs for seven days and nights straight.
The Galway hurlers and footballers might both be in All-ireland semi-finals but make no mistake about it, this is the biggest sporting fixture in the West all year.
Everyone gets a slice of the cake – pubs, restaurants, hotels and shops – with the races providing a €54million boost to the local economy.
One taxi man informed me yesterday that from Wednesday on he won’t go home until he has made €500 each day – an example of how much money will be made and spent here over the coming days.
Monday always has a feeling of the calm before the storm, and with the weather not looking great for today that could have a double meaning.
But as the week goes on you’d struggle to find anywhere on this island better to be than Ballybrit, with Ladies Day the big one on Thursday.
Ruby Walsh was the star of day one and it probably won’t be the only time this week that he’ll be in the winners’ enclosure.
But there’ll be plenty of trainers and jockeys looking to make a name for themselves over the coming days on the course.
And plenty trying to claim the style stakes off it... Roisin Duffy and Abbie Murray RUBY Walsh made it look an Easy Game when returning from more than four months off to land the opening contest at the Galway Races yesterday.
The champion jockey hadn’t been seen in action since breaking his leg in a horror fall at Cheltenham in March – but at Ballybrit it was as if he had never been away.
Walsh scored on board 5/4 favourite Easy Game and joked about how he has only done one week’s work in nine months, having been on the sidelines since November before his return was cut short at the Cotswalds.
The 39-year-old said: “It’s great to be back. It’s all about tomorrow now. I wouldn’t say it’s emotional, no, not emotional anyway.
“One week’s work in nine months, I have to smile about something.”
His delighted wife Gillian added: “I’m thrilled for him. It’s a great result. It means the world to him.
“It’s just been very frustrating the last few months because his comeback last time was so shortlived. He’s been ready, he’s lucky he’s been ready for the last month and he was just really looking forward to getting back race riding.
“He’s been riding out with Willie Mullins so just to get back on the track today and to have a winner is the icing on the cake.”
Gillian stressed retirement is not on her husband’s mind.
She said: “He’ll know himself when he wants to stop. We never talk about retirement.
“Falls are part and parcel of the job and I’m used to that. It’s not the first time he’s broken his leg, it’s not his neck or his head, it’s fixable.
“He still is keen and is as anxious to Holly Carpenter