Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
ONLY OPTION
Sky’s the limit for brilliant Current and Gavin
CURRENT Option crowned a remarkable week for trainer Ado Mcguinness and apprentice Gavin Ryan when landing the Ahonoora Handicap on the final day of the first and, hopefully, the last, behind-closed-doors Galway Festival.
Down the field in the Mile here on Tuesday, the 15/2 shot held the challenge of 7/4 favourite Njord by a neck.
Current Option provided Mcguinness with his second big prize of the week and his third success of the week, prompting him to say: “He didn’t make a liar of me. This has been a week I’ll never forget. This is a very, very good horse, but he had no chance from a high draw on Tuesday.
“We were lucky to have a good draw today – it’s crucial here. And the kid (Ryan) was very good on him.
“It’s unbelievable that the three horses worked together last week. And all three have won in Galway.
“He’s a smart horse. He’s won two premier handicaps now and we’ll try stakes company with him now.”
Current Option’s big race victory put Ryan on the five winner mark for the week, alongside Shane Foley who completed a Sunday double for Jessica Harrington on Ya Ya Baby and Camphor.
But Ryan took the festival’s top jockey title on the basis of prize money won.
Willie Mullins emerged, again, as the meeting’s leading trainer (stable jockey Paul Townend was leading National Hunt jockey) with ten winners, winning the festival finale, the Fr Breen Memorial Handicap, with 11/4 favourite Eight And Bob (Rachael Blackmore).
And Johnny Murtagh, delighted by Know It All’s creditable third in the Group 1 Prix Rothschild in Deauville, won the Lord Hemphill Memorial with the potentially smart 6/4 favourite Fourhometwo, ridden by Shane Kelly.