Ballybrit runners outfoxed again as rampant Sionnach Eile keeps it in the family

Friday: Galway

Fethard trainer Joe Murphy and owner Tom Egan have had some success over the years with Swamp Fox, especially at Galway where he won the amateur Flat handicap and was second in a Galway Hurdle, and it would appear that his half-brother Sionnach Eile will carry the mantle forward after romping home in the feature Guinness Handicap.

With a name that translates as Another Fox, the son of Valirann had the inside rail turning in and went right away inside the final furlong to beat Dame Rapide by six and a half lengths under Gary Carroll.

Bigger targets are now in mind for the winner, with the hugely valuable Irish Cesarewitch later in the year being one of them.

Murphy said: "The Irish Cesarewitch is the plan. Coming here, I would have questioned whether he would stay, but after that performance I think he will get the two miles. Down the road, he will jump hurdles and maybe he will be a Galway Hurdle horse."

Cromwell touched off

After losing Gabynako earlier in the day, nobody would have begrudged Gavin Cromwell a winner, but he had to undergo the agony of his charge San Anton losing out in a driving finish to the juvenile auction maiden.

The one to see him off was the more experienced Roman Hands under Shane Foley, who took advantage of his inside draw to be in the first two the whole way. Roman Hands then showed the appetite for a battle in the final furlong when San Anton joined him.

It was a fourth winner of the week for Jessica Harrington, her first since Monday evening's treble, and her daughter and assistant Kate said: "He was tough. As soon as the other horse came to him he just wanted to battle and he keeps improving. We will take baby steps with him."

Harrington and Foley went on to complete a double when Willamette Valley landed the 1m4f fillies' maiden.

A thrilling finish to the juvenile auction maiden as Roman Hands (left) just gets the better of San AntonCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

Four for Fahey

Monasterevin trainer Peter Fahey continued his fine week, and it was a measure of how well his horses are performing that his fourth success of the week came courtesy of the mare Sit Down Lucy in the opening handicap hurdle.

The daughter of Doyen has not exactly proved an easy horse to win with, this being just her second win from 18 starts, but she proved the most straightforward of rides here for Sean Flanagan as she lay in the first two the whole way and jumped with enthusiasm before holding off the late surge of Teed Up by half a length.

One would be entitled to ask how she has not won more often on the evidence of this performance. Fahey said: "She could never really finish out her races, but the last couple of bits of work we did with her she finished out much better.

"She just seems to have mellowed. Whether it's just with age, I don't know, but the last few things we have done with her she hasn't boiled over.

"Today we could be more confident with her and ride her closer to the pace, and her jumping was great. She's owned by a Tuam man, Padraic Ryan. He celebrated the few winners we had earlier in the week so he'll definitely celebrate this one."

Blackmore hits right note

Rachael Blackmore got off the mark for the week when landing the Guinness Galway Blazers Handicap Chase on Gabbys Cross for trainer Henry de Bromhead and owner Roger Brookhouse.

The rider's thoughts afterwards, though, were on Wesley Joyce, the young apprentice recovering from the injuries he sustained in a fall in the Corrib Stakes on Thursday.

"The thoughts of everyone in the weighroom are with Wesley," she said.

Attendance down

On a wet evening, the attendance was 24,486, which was well down on the 2019 figure of 30,823

Galway results, replays and analysis

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