Carberry gutted at missing ‘favourite festival’
PAUL CARBERRY has ridden at innumerable big meetings in Ireland, Britain and elsewhere. So you could be forgiven for thinking that missing the Galway festival next week is no big deal to him.
But it is, as he made quite clear when speaking to Racemail yesterday.
‘It’s very disappointing to miss out next week. Of all the f estivals I have been to, Galway is my favourite.
‘ I have had some great times there over the years and ridden a lot of winners around Ballybrit. Stroll Home, who won a Galway Plate for me, is still a bit special and so is Ansar which I won a Galway Hurdle on.’
Carberry, who has been plagued with a shoulder i njury f or some time, is hoping that the worst is now behind him after surgery and looking forward to resuming his career in the autumn
‘I had an operation last week and am feeling fine now. The operation went well and the recovery period is three months. So hopefully I will be back some time in October.’
Paul’s sister Nina is also out of Galway because of a collarbone injury sustained at Gowran Park last month. She expects to be sidelined for another three weeks.
Meanwhile, Ronan Whelan, deputising for Kevin Manning who is on duty at Ascot today, should be among the winners for Jim Bolger at Wexford this afternoon.
Sceilg may be Whelan’s first winner of the meeting, in the one - mile, t hree - f url ong conditions race.
The daughter of Rock Hard Ten, who has reached the frame in all her four starts this term, looked to be crying out for a longer trip when rattling home to finish a half length second to Sharjah in a one-mile, two-furlong handicap at Fairyhouse earlier this month.
Capitol Hill, who finished two back of the selection in that race, has since gone in at Killarney and is not without a chance.
Something Graceful can go close in the extended onemile three-furlong handicap for four- year- olds and up, while Star Power may complete a Whelan hat-trick in the two-mile conditions race. Dermot McLoughlin’ s Dragon Fei is burdened with the nap to land the fillies maiden for three-year- olds and upwards in the hope that she has progressed a bit from her debut at Bellewstown.