Narrowly beaten in the listed Corrib Stakes on Thursday, Princess Child pounced late to land the Irish Stallion farms EBF Ahonoora Handicap, feature on the final day of the Galway festival, for Joseph O’Brien and Dylan Browne McMonagle.
The 5/1 shot challenged late to deny the flattering Gleneagle Bay by a length and a quarter with course specialist and favourite Dunum in third.
“She was unlucky here on Thursday but had a couple of days to freshen up and she was bouncing in the parade-ring and going to post,” explained the winning rider, who was also crowned the festivals’ leading flat rider, “You need plenty of luck around here, but I had a willing partner. We went a good even pace and I had something to aim at.
“I tried to get her on the fresh ground turning for home and she stayed on well and was a good winner at the line.
“She got through the ground well and, hopefully, she can progress into stakes company again and get her head in front.”
Seventh in the ‘Plate’ on Wednesday, Zanahiyr made a quick reappearance and crowned a memorable week for Gordon Elliott and Jack Kennedy (the meeting’s leading jumps jockey) when making all to turn over 8/11 favourite Blood Destiny in the Kinlay Hostel Steeplechase.
Riding his fourth winner of the week, Kennedy insured a test of stamina. And the highly-tried eight-year-old stayed on dourly up the hill to beta the favourite by four lengths, giving his trainer a fifth success of the festival.
“It’s been a great week and I’m delighted for the horse – he’s been a great horse for us,” declared Kennedy. “Paul’s lad was up in trip and we knew my lad stays. I didn’t go overly mad in front, but he winged the two fences in the dip and stayed going well. He jumps better when you let him stride on.”
Kevin Sexton produced the Gavin Cromwell-trained Aspurofthemoment (7/1) with a strong late surge to deny favourite Arctic Fly and Paul Townend in the Lord Hemphill Memorial Handicap Chase while trainer John McConnell registered his second win of the week when Ballystone’s stamina proved crucial in the three-mile Kenny Galway Peugeot Handicap Hurdle.
Ballystone was also a second winner of the festival for jockey Alex Harvey, whop stated, “I’ve been coming here since I was a kid and you dream of riding a winner here. I got a lovely around the inside and, coming up the hill, it was just a case of holding on to him and pressing the button. He put his head down and galloped to the line.”
Owner Debbie Breslin, whose husband John won two Galway Hurdles with Tudor City, saw her colours carried to success for the first time when the Tony Martin-trained Aurea Fortuna outstayed his rivals to land the Adare Manor Opportunity Handicap Hurdle, ending his rider Jake Coen’s claim.
At the end of a frustrating week, Noel Meade won the Irish EBF Auction Series 2-Y-0 Maiden with 7/4 favourite Joltin, in trouble turning for home before picking up well for Colin Keane when switched to the outside and swooping to score, going away, from Lucia Molly.
Dermot Weld, for so long the King of Ballybrit, was on the mark (with only his sixth runner of the week) when Chris Hayes got 100/30 favourite Tilani home a half-length winner of the Village Salthill Handicap.
And Willie Mullins, the festival’s leading trainer for the tenth time, lost out in the bumper when favourite Al Arrivee failed to peg back all-the-way scorer Murat, ridden by Finny Maguire for trainer Peter Lawlor who boated a 100% record with his two runners at the meeting.
*The Sunday crowd of 14,529 was up significantly from 9,1787 last year.
And the total attendance over the seven days of 125,997 compared favourably with the 2024 figure for 116,374.
