Eagle’s Way ahead under Chris Hayes in Galway feature

PA Sport Reporters
August 2, 2024 6:38 pm

Feature on day five goes to Bill Durkan-trained five-year-old.

Eagle’s Way produced a front-running performance full of guts and determination to take the Guinness Handicap, the mile-and-a-half feature on day five of the big festival at Ballybrit.

Having his third run for Bill Durkan after leaving Sir Mark Prescott, the Chris Hayes-ridden five-year-old showed a liking for this trip when winning last time out at Bellewstown, having been sixth over hurdles first time for his new yard at Punchestown.

Chally Chute pushed him all the way to the line, but the post came in time for the 8-1 scorer, who got home by a short head. Soaring Monarch was third, with Monday’s winner Sirius fourth.

“He’s a horse that we liked and we thought he’d win over hurdles the first day, but he kicked a lot of hurdles out of the ground so we reverted back to the Flat for now,” said assistant trainer Gary Bannon.

“We gave him a prep run in Bellewstown with this in mind and he won quite well. I suppose he’s maybe going to be out of handicaps now after that. Chris said he idled the whole way up the straight and that he was a winner everywhere, but was just not doing a stroke.

“It’s great for Bill and the lads, who are great supporters. This means everything to them, I think their last winner here was Quinmaster in the Galway Mile and that was a long time ago.

“Our horses have been running well all week and hitting the crossbar so it’s just great for a small yard to come here and pick up a big pot like that. It’s a big team effort.

“I think he’ll step up in trip. Sir Mark Prescott definitely thought he’d step up in trip. He stayed at a mile and a quarter in England for all his runs, and I was a little bit worried, but he stays very well and we’re happy to have him.”

Battleoverdoyen showed class is permanent as he came with a late run down the stand-side rail to get up in the Guinness Galway Blazers.

Willie Mullins’ Ontheropes was travelling well at the head of the field when he fell heavily after a bad mistake five out and brought down Motown Maggie. Francky Du Berlais was also badly hampered by the faller as Flanking Maneuver and Moonovercloon took it up.

Moonovercloon looked to have the race in safe-keeping after pulling away on the run for home, but Danny Gilligan timed his run to perfection on the Gordon Elliott-trained 11-year-old to win by a nose at 20-1, with Flanking Maneuver 11 lengths adrift in third.

“He was high class; he was a Grade One winner (Neville Hotels Novice Chase at Leopardstown in 2019). He was very unlucky all winter with the ground being very soft, he was struggling with his wind on real soft ground,” said Elliott.

“We went hunter chasing with him and had a great plan to qualify him for the Foxhunters this year, but didn’t get to qualify him, everything went wrong.

“For him to come back and win for the lads here is great because they’ve been patient with him.

“He wasn’t going to have too many more chances which just goes to show if you don’t give up.

“He’s been a horse of a lifetime for me, I’ve had him since he was a four-year-old. Obviously he’s a Grade One winner and to come back and win for the boys today, if he doesn’t do anything ever again he’s going to have a great life.

“In fairness he has dropped a lot in the handicap, he’s 123 there and was rated 160 at his best.

“We’ll enjoy today and make a plan after that. He might got to Listowel for one of the handicap chases there.”

Volantis (4-1 favourite) came with a late challenge to land the Guinness Galway Tribes Handicap Hurdle by a short head from Tounsivator.

Tounsivator, Lord Erskine and Metamorpheus took the final flight all in a line, with the latter fading out of the picture on the run-in.

But it was the Ross O’Sullivan-trained Volantis coming out of the pack who was travelling best of all and as he took up the challenge Lord Erskine could not keep up and it was a battle with the Mullins-trained Tounsivator to the line with a photo needed to separate them in Volantis’ favour.

“We weren’t happy at any point of the race. He’s a very hard ride because he needs cover,” said O’Sullivan.

“It’s exactly what happened last year, but he got beat on the line then. This year it just paid off and he was lucky enough to get out. He’s a classy horse, he’s quick over his hurdles and two miles is his ideal trip.

“He’s a nice ground horse, not a real heavy ground winter horse, so we’ll definitely roll into the autumn.

“He was very unlucky in Listowel last year as well. We might skip Listowel for the likes of Cheltenham in October and November. Those type of meetings before it gets heavy.”