A social event named “My Lovely Horse,” paying homage to Father Ted and celebrating Eurovision music, is part of the line-up for the race-week festivities in Galway, hosted by Monroe’s Pub on Dominick Street. The event is set to commence on Friday evening.
However, the festivities started two days ahead of schedule when a genuine horse, half-owned by a syndicate from the hosting pub, emerged victorious in the Tote Handicap Hurdle on Galway Plate Day. Having won only once in nine previous runs, Ross O’Sullivan-trained Talk in the Park unexpectedly snatched a €10,000 first prize at a crucial racing meet for its owners at June’s Downpatrick race. The jubilant syndicate subsequently announced plans for a party at Monroe’s.
On the third day of the festival, blue was the day’s dominant fashion colour. The skies above Galway contrasted this optimism by returning to a foreboding grey hue. The local weather might have influenced a grey horse, ‘My Great Mate,’ to become the favourite in the opening race.
However, despite the high favour, ‘My Great Mate’ only finished third, losing out to ‘Lightkeeper,’ a horse trained by Gordon Elliot and owned by another pub syndicate, The Bar-Stool Prophets, based at Shaw’s in Summerhill, Co Meath. With winning odds of 11-1, not many race attendees predicted ‘Lightkeeper’s’ success. However, the syndicate had faith, backing the horse at even higher odds of 12-1.
Contrary to the usual image of Bar Stool Prophets, they tend to have an impressive knowledge base. A notable member is Pat Elliott, the progenitor of Gordon. He has been part of the team since the time Toran Road, trained by him, emerged victorious in Ireland in 2007.
Among the other victors was Rachel Phelan of Waterford. She modestly pumped her fist as her horse crossed the finishing line before the grandstand. Phelan is no rookie though, having previously worked for the horse trainer, Henry de Bromhead, and was accustomed to riding high-performing horses such as Let’s Go Champ.
Phelan confessed, somewhat bashfully, that she had placed an each-way bet of five pounds on the horse Lightkeeper – a decision driven merely by her liking of its name. At Galway, such seemingly random criteria have been known to work.
Another notable person present since the first race was Aileen Horkan, a pedagogue from Ballina. She belongs to a North Mayo group which regularly recreates the events of the Year of the French. This is the sole reason why she chose to back the horse, Napper Tandy, an underdog priced at 25-1 in a race with just eight runners. Napper ended up performing much better than his namesake from 1798, finishing third.
But like most attendees in Galway, Horkan had not anticipated the sudden rainfall after the inaugural race, causing her to scamper for shelter. She lamented the unfortunate turn of events as did many hiding under the podium shelter of the nearby victors’ parade ring. Even the seasoned Bar Stool Prophets were caught off guard.
The ubiquity of a particular set of blue shades in the garments of the day came as a surprise to several. Mary Murphy of Tallow in Co Waterford, sporting a coat in the royal shade of blue, pled ignorance of any forewarning regarding this fashion trend. She modestly suggested that folks were probably wearing what they bought in the shops, much like her own coat purchased from Dunnes.
Discussing boutiques, we have Bernie Turley – the spouse of Anthony Ryan, who is both the proprietor of a department store in Galway and the head of a racing festival – immaculately decked in a chic and weather-appropriate attire. Her fashionable ensemble consisted of a white frock with blue spots, complemented with blue footwear and a flamboyantly feathered headdress in the same hue. Indicative of a touch of preparedness for the prevailing conditions, she crowned it all with a blue umbrella that was as elegant as it was practical.