In a spectacular show, jockey JJ Slevin guided Nurburgring to victory in the renowned €270,000 Guinness Galway Hurdle on a recent Thursday. Notwithstanding the substantial attention on the race’s commencement as much as its end, Slevin along with his cousin, racehorse trainer Joseph O’Brien, piloted the horse to win the 13-2 race, outpacing Ndaawi and finishing seven lengths ahead. My Mate Mozzie, too, managed to secure the same third place finish as his 2023 performance.
Post-race conjecture, however, mostly centred around the kick-off of this marquee Irish handicap hurdle race. An originally planned start for the 19 participant race was deemed unfeasible, resulting in a standing start that was immediately taken advantage of by one of Willie Mullins’s horses, Anotherway, followed closely by his stable-mate, Williamstowndancer.
Regrettably, this led to a disadvantage for a majority of the remaining participants, inclusive of Mullins’s top runner, Daddy Long Legs, who barely managed to cross the finish line last. Even JJ Slevin couldn’t resist labelling the start as “chaotic”.
This hiccup, nonetheless, failed to deter Slevin, who maintained an advantageous position throughout the race. Upon securing a clear run at the hilltop, Nurburgring was perceived as having a firm hold on the win from before the penultimate hurdle.
Amidst the stir caused by the start, race officials concluded no punitive measures were necessary. Though starter Paddy Graffin articulated his discontentment with the situation, he firmly maintained the legality of the start, emphasising a mutual understanding between the jockeys and the starter.
Once again, the keen foresight of Danny Mullins shone through with Anotherway. Nevertheless, the race’s conclusive victory was claimed by Nurburgring, further elevating Slevin’s reputation for success in prestigious races.
After his triumph at the Irish Grand National with Intense Raffles during Easter, closely followed by two Grade One victories at Punchestown, there has now been a summer feature win. “It’s a monumental achievement to win such a race. The beginning was rather chaotic, but I managed to get myself into the position I wanted to be in. Danny was making up his own rules, so I allowed him to continue till we got to the penultimate spot where he did exceptionally well,” comments Slevin.
This triumph added to O’Brien’s extraordinary week, with a total of four wins under his belt including Tuesday’s Mile race, earning him the status of leading trainer here for now. “He entered the course carrying the four-year-olds’ allowance and was truly given an outstanding ride by JJ. He had a good head start, a favourable position and made a commendable move uphill. It was an astoundingly impressive performance,” stated the trainer who had previously claimed victory in this race back in 2017 with Tigris River.
The top finisher among the Mullins entrants in the fourth tier was Winter Fog, while the reigning trainer gave a diplomatic “far from perfect” remark when questioned about the start of the race. Nevertheless, the day was tinged with sadness for Slevin and O’Brien due to the demise of Sempo, their entry in the opening race won by Pink In The Park. Sempo had to be pulled up after the end due to fatal injuries, which Slevin referred to as a “severe disappointment.”
More sorrow followed in the Grade Three chase, won by Ashdale Bob, where another horse, Merlin Giant, succumbed to fatal injuries after falling at the sixth. The tragic loss continued in the Listed Corrib Stakes where Ballydoyle’s Flight Of Fancy had to be euthanised due to injuries incurred in the dip, following the fatal injuries to two horses on Monday.
Jockey Gary Carroll achieved a double success, including the Corrib on Raknah. The day ended on a high note with Brave Crogha’s win, yielding 200-1 gains to the bookmakers – a first victory in six years for local trainer Iggy Madden. With an attendance of 25,290 on ‘Ladies Day’ Thursday, there was a minor dip from the previous year’s 25,924.