On the second day of the Galway Festival, the sun decided to grace the event, providing validity to the adverts seen around the racecourse confectioneries, “Ice cream available here.” Yet, it was a tad too early to justify another offering, “flip-flops”. Unusual for sweet shops to sell, but these were also retailing here at €8 a pair, secretly. Back in the grandstand, a store had already managed to sell 12 pairs from the start of the festival on Monday and was looking forward to a surge in sales over the upcoming days as high fashion footwear begins to pinch. An attendant anticipated a hike in demand, “By Thursday, they will be clamouring for them,” he predicted.
Sarah Louise Brogan from Rush in Co Dublin, donning stilettos as part of her race-day attire, wasn’t ready to give in just yet. She sported strong ankles conditioned by her Gaelic football amateur career with St Maur’s club, a trait she shares with actor Paul Mescal. Though her shoes had more panache compared to his usual footwear, it was a struggle.
“I might have to buy flip-flops later on,” she acknowledged, indicating her modish yet compact handbag, not fitting for backup shoes.
Present at the festival with her were friends Damien Boylan from Co Monaghan – a soccer friend she met during a J1 visa stint in Chicago – and Orla Cleary from Galway. Also, in attendance was her fiancée Féidhlim Murphy, with whom she engaged a year ago, not in Galway, but precisely in the Cayman Islands.
The two are set to wed on the forthcoming Valentine’s Day.
At Ballybrit, head apparel both for style and sun shield were highly advocated at racing stalls. Felt hats, a staple for equine enthusiasts, were being sold for €50 apiece, a bargain compared to the usual €85 elsewhere, claimed the attendant, though it contradicts the typical price trend during racing week.
Straw hats were also on sale for €20, but the vendor gleefully offered a pair of elderly men a discount: “Cash purchase of €35 for two.”
The first race on the course was won by an international participant. Gale Mahler, a horse owned by a Scottish team and trained by a Yorkshire man, secured first place by an impressive 10 lengths, proudly representing the “Brit” in Ballybrit.
Additionally, Adrian Keatley, a Kildare-born expatriate, was the trainer on record. Keatley confessed his apprehensions of returning to Ireland and going head-to-head with well-known figure Willie Mullins, deriving a sense of accomplishment from his win.
Regardless of national boundaries, the victory was welcomed by those who had backed Gale Mahler at 9/2, which included a duo of sixteen-year-old gamblers from Athenry who were clearly content to have bagged €15 from racecourse bookies, having placed tracksides bets of “€2.50 each way” on the winner.
Tenor notes are traditionally noteworthy during race week, marked by two local singers performing the National Anthem on the first day. However, fivers remain well-regarded too.
Conversely, a group of Asian students, studying at the Galway Technical Institute and visiting the races for the first time, were not as fortunate. Daisy and Ellen from Taiwan, along with Jimin from South Korea, had initially enjoyed the experience. But, as Daisy quickly learned, picking a winner at Galway can prove challenging – her bet, Jungle Cove, finished last in the first race, trailing the victor by a significant 36 lengths.