Magic does the trick for Trim syndicate at Galway
There was a strong Trim theme to the winner of the €120,000 Colm Quinn BMW Mile Handicap at Galway as champion jockey Colin Keane from the town steered home Magic Chegaga for the Magic Lads Syndicate this evening.
Spokesman for the Magic Lads Syndicate Richie Walsh from the Judge & Jury pub in Trim led the celebrations as the Brian Duffy trained filly crossed the line under Keane to take the big race of the day by half a length from Ado McGuinness's Casanova in second with Jessica Harrington's Cowboy Justice in third.
Walsh revealed that his car had broken down just outside Loughrea on the way to the races and in a further twist he also admitted that the horsebox brining Magic Chegaga to the Galway festival broke down in Rochfortbridge and the filly had to travel the rest of the way with Duffy's other runner for the evening.
The Magic Lads Syndicate and the huge support from Trim and Navan obviously had their few euros on the horse as she opened at 12/1 and raced into 7/1 before going off and winning at 6/1.
"We were travelling our two horses (Mean Fomhair who runs in race six) in two different boxes and one of them overheated so we ended up getting into a churchyard in Rochfortbridge and we had no choice but to throw them in together," Duffy said.
“I thought 'this is going to go terribly wrong!' I really could have done without it coming here for this race. Thank God it worked out and I still can't believe it has actually happened.
“I was just hoping she'd hold on and there wasn't a late finisher coming to nab her but she just kept on finding and she's a brilliant filly.
“She has a very high cruising speed but doesn't find a whole lot off it, I think she just has one gear when she lets down but she's game as anything.
“We had the champion on board (Colin Keane) and he's champion for a reason. He gave her a super ride, from that draw to get her in and get her settled in mid-division was super stuff.
“You couldn't make it up, it's unbelievable. When we bought her we were hoping she'd just win a race.
“She's a beautifully bred filly but all the Moyglare horses are. When you buy out of there you know you are buying something good.
“The lads said they had around €15,000 to buy something (bought for €12,500) and it was during 2021 so it was actually online.
“I was bidding on my computer in between working. I was working from home for a logistics company doing customs clearance.
“We just have four in training, a restricted licence, and half my yard are running here tonight. It's unbelievable to have one to run in this never mind win it.
“It's one of the highlights of the year for Flat trainers at Galway, the big Colm Quinn Handicap. It's unbelievable to get it amongst all the real trainers, I'm only a minnow,” said the modest Duffy.
Drawn in stall 19 Keane had to put a stall on his filly to settle her into midfield, but just as they turned at the bottom of the hill at Ballybrit Keane asked the horse for a move and she replied, storming to the from a furlong and a half out and holding on well under intense pressure.