After a series of near misses in big handicaps it all came together for Tudor City in the Grade A Guinness Galway Hurdle Handicap.
A second success in the hugely valuable event for owner John Breslin, a third for trainer Tony Martin, and a second for jockey Robbie Power, this was a popular win as the victor came in from 12/1 into 10/1 on track, and from bigger earlier.
Breslin won it in 2015 with Quick Jack (Tony Martin as well), whilst the County Meath handler triumphed in 2014 for J P McManus with Thomas Edison.
Meanwhile Power was on the mark in 2013 on the Mick Winters handled Missunited.
Tudor City, with Robbie Power up, jumps the fourth on their way to winning the Guinness Galway Hurdle Handicap on Day Four of the Galway Races Summer Festival 2019 in Ballybrit, Galway. (Photo By Seb Daly/Sportsfile via Getty Images)Here he was patience personified on Tudor City, and he started to move the Yeats gelding up from towards the back from before the second last.
Power explained: “The plan was to go the shortest way and hope for a bit of luck. I was lucky enough to get a bit of space and avoid that schamozzle (entering the back straight).
“I wanted to get on Band Of Outlaws tail as I saw him as the horse to beat. He jumped the second last well and then put his head down to go through the gap on the run-in.”
That gap came between eventual second and third, Due Reward and Band Of Outlaws, and half a length and three parts of a length eventually split them at the line.
Previous success
Tony Martin won many big prizes with Tudor City's dam, She's Our Mare, including the 1999 Cambridgeshire at Newmarket.
He said: "It's brilliant and everything worked out so well. His mother own a Cambridgeshire but was a short-runner and barely got two miles and he was likewise until this year but came of age this year and finished out his races.
"They went no gallop but luckily Puppy (Robbie Power) had the patience and the nerve to sit and wait and it all worked out. That's why he is the jockey he is and there are only a few of them who can do that and fortunately we had his services today.
"Him and the likes of Anibale Fly are the sort of horses you get up for every morning. We had a few lean years and things weren't the best but him winning and Anibale Fly finishing second in the Gold Cup was just brilliant and they are the days you work for.
And he added: "The Breslins are great people and my father was a very good friend of John's and introduced me to him before he died 19 years ago. John came to me the Galway two years after and put a few horses with me and it has gone from strength to strength since.
"We wouldn't have the horses we have had in the past but we have a few nice ones and have some right good owners who are loyal and they are keeping us going."
