Coeur shows plenty of heart to claim Galway gold
Mile highlight goes to Dermot Weld and Chris Hayes.
Coeur D’or swooped late to claim a head verdict in the featured Colm Quinn BMW Mile Handicap on day two of the Galway Festival. Trained by Dermot Weld and ridden by Chris Hayes, Coeur D’or was a winner on his penultimate run at Leopardstown, but he was allowed to go off a 14-1 shot in the handicap highlight. The 18-runner contest proved typically competitive and it looked as though Dunum was going to take the win two furlongs out, only for No More Porter to battle his way to the front inside the distance. However, Hayes had launched Coeur D’or down the outside and he grabbed the lead in the shadow of the post to take the prize in a photo, with Dunum a further three-quarters of a length back in third. Weld said: “He is a very consistent horse, this was the plan and he delivered. He had been running very consistently all year and is a brave horse. “I was worried about the ground as he is very effective on a slightly quicker surface. A mile is his trip but he was a very immature horse in his early days and took a long time to come to hand but patience paid dividends.“He has two great owners in Stephen O’Connor and Mark Phelan and I’m delighted for them.” Sharjah returned to the scene of one of his finest hours to make a seamless transition to fences in the Latin Quarter Beginners Chase. Winner of the Galway Hurdle in 2018, he has gone on to become a multiple Grade One scorer, triumphing in the Matheson Hurdle at Leopardstown’s Christmas meeting on four occasions. He has also been second in two Champion Hurdles so had a clear class edge over his rivals, but he was making his debut over fences at the age of 10. Always handy under Paul Townend, reunited with him for the first time since the 2021 Champion Hurdle, Sharjah jumped soundly throughout and came clear under no pressure to win by 11 lengths as the 1-4 favourite. Mullins said: “He was very smooth and jumped like he did at home. Every time I schooled him, he always looked very capable and confident over fences and showed that today. If he wasn’t good, we wouldn’t have gone chasing with him, but he was so natural at home and did today what he has done at home. “In today’s race he was meeting a lot less competition compared to what he had been meeting over hurdles for the past four or five years – none of those horses had ever run in a Grade One hurdle – and he enjoyed it. “I imagine he’ll stay to winners’ races now and he would get nice ground for the Drinmore.”
Follow us on Twitter racing365dotcom and like our Facebook page.
Latest
-
Copperhead takes Aintree gold for Tizzard
‘I was chuffed with him last time and he’s gone and done it again!’.
-
Fleur In The Park full of promise on hurdling bow
Slattery hoping Wexford winner could be an Albert Bartlett horse.
-
Trueshan and Hollie Doyle third, as Double Major retains Royal-Oak crown
Christophe Ferland winner will be prepared for targets in Dubai.
-
‘Magic’ – McCain delight as Minella Drama bags deserved big-race prize
Old Roan win comes at a track close to the trainer’s heart.
-
Fierceness team ready for huge City Of Troy showdown
‘We’re counting on him to produce his best form’.
-
Twain meets with O’Brien approval in Saint-Cloud strike
‘He’s a quick horse and obviously a Guineas horse’
-
Greatwood aim for Burdett Road back at Cheltenham
Smart dual-purpose performer shone at the November meeting 12 months ago.
-
Group One near-misses leaves decision pending on Swingalong
Karl Burke’s filly was again just denied on Champions Day.
-
City Of Troy can be toast of Del Mar, says Jamie Osborne
Lambourn trainer went so close to Breeders’ Cup glory himself on magical night in 2014.