Rugby stars Madigan and Ryan’s Plate expectations
The Irish duo hope their horse The Crafty Butcher can carve out a famous victory in this year’s Galway Festival feature chase
THE old enemy of England is home henceforth for both Ian Madigan and Dominic Ryan but Galway — and more specifically Ballybrit — will be where hearts and (hopefully) bodies are come August 2.
These two former Leinster stalwarts have had a pretty trying past year, specifically in terms of their professional careers but also in the even more volatile world of owning a thoroughbred. The pair each has a leg in The Crafty Butcher, certain to be a major fancy for Willie Mullins in the €250,000 thetote. com Galway Plate at the festival that stops a county and many more besides.
The horse, which is now a ten-yearold, has enjoyed quite a bit of hype for a handicapper that’s a galling zero from five since joining Mullins. Yet, as the trainer’s son and assistant Patrick appreciates, there is something quite different about celebrity owners.
“The guys are great to deal with, love the game and the fact they are both mates with Paul Byrne, the other owner, makes it a bit more special. It gets a bit of publicity for us and racing too,” he said.
“Paul, who is the other owner along with myself, had a pretty small budget but last year he attempted to source a horse that could be eligible for and competitive in all those good staying chases,” says the amateur rider.
“Paul had bought Rockyaboya before for buttons and he won the Paddy Power Chase at Leopardstown under me — it was that type of dream he had when he paid £11,000 for The Crafty Butcher.
“On his first run for us he ran a fine race over hurdles and we were all really excited for Leopardstown. That is a track local to the three other lads and he was backed into a hot favourite.”
The race went like clockwork in the main for Ruby Walsh, only for something of an imposter — predictably Gordon Elliott, who trained the winner Noble Endeavor and pushed Mullins exceptionally hard for the trainers’ title — to spoil the party. Still, second place ensured a return of €38,000: already the boys were in profit.
One might argue in racing that anything after that is a bonus but Madigan and Ryan had the bug now and to be so close to winning a feature race only enhanced the urge.
“The highs of coming second in the Paddy Power at Christmas mixed with the lows of not getting into the Thyestes afterwards at Gowran and then the antics by Phil Smith around the Kim Muir has left us scratching our heads a bit,” Ryan admits.
The “antics” to which he refers illustrates that Ryan is far from alien to the idiosyncrasies of the racing game. Smith’s rating of the horse was unusual, putting him in at a strangely low mark that kept him out of Cheltenham handicaps, and the British handicapper was even forced to defend the situation on At The Races racing channel.
“We do still believe there is a good race in him,” Ryan goes on, “but maybe now his best days are behind him.”
The flanker should recall that they have still come a long way since a less than inspiring start, as Byrne recalls.
“The very first report that Patrick sent me went something like this: ‘We have a horse anyway. For the Derby. The Mongolian Derby.’ That’s how badly he was working.”
Still, that’s what racing can do: drive hopes upward in a frenzy before clawing you back down to despondency. However, Mullins Jnr is not giving up hope.
“The mark he has in Ireland is favourable but something of a double-edged sword. He had near-misses in not getting into the Thyestes and the Irish National but with Gigginstown only likely to run four in the Galway Plate, we feel he
has a good chance of getting in. There is a question mark regarding the trip on the summer ground but he did win at Killarney over two miles and a furlong earlier in his life and on the good ground he seemed to travel with a lot more zest at Punchestown last time. “He fell then, which had us puzzled, as jumping is his forte and Ruby Walsh actually said he was enjoying himself too much and travelling too well.” For the rugby-playing duo, racing is something of a distraction. Both players will be playing their rugby across the Irish Sea this year after unhappy 2016/17 seasons. Madigan has joined former Connacht coach Pat Lam at recently-relegated Bristol in the hope of rebooting his career after a difficult year in France. His move to Bordeaux from Leinster came amid much fanfare, but he struggled to make an impact with the top-14 side and lost his Ireland place as a result of moving abroad. Ryan, meanwhile, has endured an injury-hit campaign but found it difficult to break into the highly competitive Leinster back-row. The flanker has decided to try his luck elsewhere as a result and has linked up with former Blues coach Matt O’Connor at Leicester Tigers. “We have busy schedules this year, which is not helped by the fact we are both plying our trade overseas,” Ryan says. “However, we will still try our best to make it to Galway. “At the moment I have been busy with the rugby, meeting all the new coaching team, my new team-mates, and moving into my new place. I do pass Leicester racecourse everyday on my way to training — and who knows? Hopefully I can have a runner here at some stage. For the moment, my attention is thoroughly focused on the rugby though.”
Though Leopardstown’s Christmas meet is special to Ryan and Madigan, the former relishes Galway too, and the uniquely fun nature of the biggest festival in the country.
“The Galway Festival each year is a great occasion on the racing calendar. I have been there the last few years, thoroughly enjoyed it – and the possibility of having a runner in the biggest chase race at the festival is great.
“The Crafty Butcher has been a good horse to us in that he has paid his way the last year or so. Ideally he would be better suited over a longer trip and softer ground. However, if he gets around and comes up the hill and cashes a cheque, we will be happy.”
For Byrne, it would mean more than just profit were The Crafty Butcher to win the Galway Plate. “The lads are definitely keeping the heads down with a view to the new season but they are constantly looking for updates on The Crafty Butcher. I hope the WhatsApp group is in overdrive on Wednesday evening.”
The lads are keeping the heads down with a view to the new season but they are constantly looking for updates on The Crafty Butcher. I hope the WhatsApp group is in overdrive Wednesday evening