No ending this Current affair
CURRENT Option continued his love affair with Galway by registering a remarkable third victory in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF ‘Ahonoora’ Handicap.
Successful in the €110,000 feature in each of the past two seasons, the Ado McGuinnesstrained six-year-old was an 11-2 chance to make it a hat-trick after finishing fourth in Tuesday’s BMW Mile.
Partnered by 5lb claimer Cian MacRedmond, who was also on board 12 months ago, Current Option could be spotted travelling strongly into contention as the field rounded the home bend.
British raider On A Session held a narrow advantage once straightened up, but he was unable to resist the McGuinness runner, who finished strongly to score by a length and a quarter.
McGuinness said: ‘I might never get a horse like him again. He’s been fabulous to have and the lads (owners) are great supporters. He’s a Group Three winner, a Listed winner, won a list of Premier Handicaps and taken us everywhere.
‘He just loves this place and was unlucky the other night... we’ll probably try for the big handicap in Leopardstown. He’s won that before as well.’
Politesse mowed down last year’s winner Battleoverdoyen to secure top honours in the Eileen Kelly Memorial Chase.
Having finished fifth in the Galway Plate on Wednesday, Battleoverdoyen was the 11-10 favourite to register back-to-back wins in this €25,000 contest.
Gordon Elliott’s charge looked sure to prevail after going clear from the home turn, but tired racing up the hill and 9-4 shot Politesse got up to beat him by a length and a quarter under Conor Orr. ‘It’s taken so long to get her back after an injury in Cork and she loves good ground, she really bounces off it,’ said winning trainer Lorna Fowler.
‘I was so disappointed when the rain came but when I walked the track I was really happy with it. She was so tough, I’m really proud of her. Conor and her make a great partnership. It’s limited what she can go for so we may give her a break and try to get some black type early autumn. She’s not a winter girl.’
Teed Up justified 4-6 favouritism in the opening Adare Manor Opportunity Handicap Hurdle.
Beaten half a length into second place at the track on Friday, the Emmet Mullins-trained fiveyear-old comfortably went one better in the hands of Conor Clarke.
Mullins said: ‘It’s a great day for Conor who joined me earlier in the year. That’s the second winner he’s had for me and hopefully things will start getting into gear for him soon. A winner at the Galway Festival is great for any young jockey.
Nathaniel’s Dream was a 12-1 winner of the Kenny Galway Handicap Hurdle for Tony Martin and Seán O’Keeffe, while Elliott’s Vado Forte (16-1) and landed the Lord Hemphill Memorial Handicap Chase — providing jockey Jack Kennedy with his first winner of the week. ‘It’s been a long, tough week, but it’s nice to get that now,’ said Kennedy.
Willie Mullins ended the week with a winner when the Patrick Mullins-ridden No Risk No Fun led a stable one-two in the Fr Breen Memorial (Pro/Am) INH Flat Race, the even-money favourite beating Spread Boss Ted by two and three-quarter lengths. Mullins said: ‘He’s a nice horse and could be a graded horse. He does it nicely on the racetrack.’
He added: ‘It’s been a fantastic week. All my neighbours had plenty of winners as well as ourselves.’