Murtagh's glorious Goodwood

Goodwood and Galway, two of the big summer racing festivals took place last week, and for Johnny Murtagh, the cross-channel meeting did turn out to be 'Glorious'. On Wednesday, the Ballydoyle team sent Rip Van Winkle out in the Sussex Stakes, and after an unlucky run against dual Classic winner Sea The Stars, Aidan O'Brien's colt scored an emphatic Group One win, despite the presence of a crack in his near-hind hoof. Rip Van Winkle, fourth to Sea The Stars in both the 2,000 Guineas and the Derby, finished second to him in the Eclipse, but was doubtful up to the last minute on Wednesday last following the emergence of the crack. But the 6/4 favourite broke tidily from the stalls and with Murtagh stole the show on day two of Glorious Goodwood, winning by two and a half lengths from Paco Bay after being set on his way by the Bohermeen jockey while turning for home halfway through the mile showpiece. The O'Brien-Murtagh team went west later in the week and was successful with Viceroy of India in the Galway Publicans EBF Maiden, at 4/1, on Friday evening. The same evening saw young Dunboyne jockey Padraig Beggy win the feature race, the €42,000 Arthur's Day Handicap, on the impressive Drunken Sailor, the 9/2 joint favourite, for Paul W Flynn. Galway opened with two evening meets on Monday and Tuesday, with early success for Noel Meade and Robert Power on Monday evening with No One Tells Me in the Galway Bay Hotel Handicap Hurdle, the 9/2 favourite. Liam McAteer was also in the winners' enclosure on Monday evening, with Tellelle in the Claregalway Hotel Handicap, a 9/1 shot with Daniel Mullins on board. On Wednesday, Paul Carberry was in the saddle for Noel Meade on Steve Capall, 12/1 winner in the William Hill Handicap Hurdle, owned by the Fortysomething Syndicate. Thursday evening saw a win for jockey Roger Loughran, on Dessie Hughes' Montero, the 6/4 favourite, who finished ahead of two countymen, Andrew Lynch on Aoife Costa and third-placed Robbie Power on Farinelli. Des McDonogh had a winner with Articilitis, ridden by Gary Carroll in the Arthur's Legacy Handicap, at 14/1, while Nina Carberry was on board the winner of the Guinness Storehouse Pro/Am Flat Race, on John Paul Brennan's 10/1 Bay Central. The big feature races at Galway saw young Dundalk jockey Stephen Gray enjoy success in the Galway Hurdle, on Pat Flynn's Bahrain Storm, a 20/1 winner of the €250,000 pot, and Andrew McNamara take the Plate on Ballyholland, trained by Colin McBratney in Down, a 16/1 shot. On Friday evening, Andrew Thornton was successful on board Muirdach Kelly's 7/1 entry, Kahuna, in the Guinness Handicap Chase. As usual there was bumper success for Nina Carberry when she rode 9/2 shot Loosen my Load to victory in the last race of the Festival on Sunday for trainer Henry De Bromhead. Meanwhile, Balrath trainer Gavin Cromwell received bad news last week when the Turf Club fined him €5,000 plus costs after Crossdresser tested positive for lasix, when running a controversial third at Punchestown in April. The horse was suspended for 60 days. Disqualified by the Turf Club was Dunguib from a Grade One race he won at Punchestown in April, while trainer Philip Fenton was fined €3,000 after the horse tested positive for a banned substance. The horse, owned by Rathmore native Liz Lawlor, tested positive for a wormer administered in error by an employee at Fenton's yard before he won the Champion Bumper at Punchestown. He had earlier won the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham.