MARTIN OFF TO A FLYER IN GALWAY
TONY MARTIN was celebrating as Edeymi hung on in a pulsating finish to claim the opening-day feature two-mile Connacht Hotel Handicap at Galway yesterday. The Gigginstown House five-year-old appeared on the scene in the straight, where Domination also threw down a serious challenge. The latter briefly looked like he would get on top, but Steven Clements asked Edeymi for everything and won the day by a head, with Redera in third and Gimli’s Rock fourth. The 16-1 winner finished second in last year’s Fred Winter Juvenile Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival but had endured a frustrating time since, although he had won a 12-furlong maiden at Dundalk. Martin, who won this race in his days as a jockey, said: ‘I’m happy for the little horse as he’s been unlucky. He went to Cheltenham [in March for the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle] and I thought he was my best chance with Bog Warrior and he got brought down. ‘He then fell in Tramore when coming to win his novice chase first time. It’s great to see him do himself justice. Steven started out with me before going to England and had a great run a couple of years ago over there after he rode the winner at Cheltenham. ‘It was Eddie O’Leary that decided that he was the man for him, so full marks to him. He gave him a brilliant ride.’ On a night to remember for the trainer, Martin followed up when the Fran Berryridden Dark Crusader (12-1) just got the better of Lady Giselle by a head in the Galway Oyster Hotel Handicap. Mustajeeb (11-8 joint-favourite) looked a colt to follow when making virtually all under Pat Smullen in the Claregalwayhotel.ie (C& G) European Breeders Fund Maiden, giving Dermot Weld an astonishing 22nd victory in the seven-furlong event. Diplomat had got followers of Weld and Ruby Walsh off to the perfect start as the odds-on favourite recorded a comfortable success in the galwaybayhotel.com Novice Hurdle. Aladdins Cave (9-2 favourite) returned to the jumping game in style as Colm Murphy’s nine-year-old came home well to land the Sean ‘The Budgie’ Burgess Memorial Handicap Hurdle under Barry Geraghty.