Giving youth its head is a tried and trusted sporting formula and it paid off in spectacular style at Galway last night when teenage jockey Tom Queally brilliantly won the £70,000 McDonogh Handicap on the outsider Tushna.
Young Queally - "I'll be 16 in October" - revealed the sort of coolness under pressure that indicates real aptitude and guarantees he will have many more winners to add to the six he has currently clocked up.
The Dungarvan-born apprentice was having his first ride for Jim Bolger and was left with no doubt as to what his instructions were on the 16 to 1 shot.
"I told him not to be out of the first four and that the horse would jump out quickly," said Bolger who was winning the McDonogh for the second year running following Tiger Shark last season.
Indeed, Tushna jumped so well that he led or disputed the lead with Khaysan from the start but having an ultra-competitive field of 16 watching his every move didn't bother Queally one whit.
"He was travelling so well I just let him run," said Queally who was a pony racing champion last year and has been attached to Pat Flynn's yard for just four months. The youngster made it sound easy but there was much to admire about the way he steadied the pace to suit himself and then kicked on the turn-in.
Bibi Karam and Royal South threw down serious challenges up the straight but Queally never panicked as his mount ultimately ran out a length winner.
"He's obviously got a cool head and is a good judge of pace because he got that right. He stretched them but not too much," praised Bolger who also bred the winner. "Tushna lost his form a little bit but we ran him a bit short a couple of times."
While Tushna's bounce back to form meant a second McDonogh on the bounce for Bolger, he also remembered the 1995 race and how his horse Al Moahaajr ran into a difficult task. "He ran second to that flying machine of John Oxx's, Timarida. And I think he was probably giving her weight!" he joked.
The English raider Tissifer tracked the leaders at an early stage but ultimately faded to 10th while the favourite Tarry Flynn beat only three home.
Tarry Flynn's trainer Dermot Weld, however, was a much happier man last night and it was not hard to figure out why as he edged two closer to the Irish all-time record number of winners trained.
"We're back on track after a miserable first evening," declared Weld after the odds-on Ansar had easily landed the opening maiden hurdle. Norman Williamson kicked him clear before the turn-in and Ansar will now be aimed at the last race on Friday. "He jumped like a cat and it was over a long way out," Weld added.
It was a much tighter affair in the two-year-old maiden as Crown Capers just nosed out Cheal Rose in the last stride and set herself up for a tilt at the Listed Debutante Stakes at the Curragh in 18 days' time.
The Weld camp were stung, though, in the seven-furlong maiden as the odds-on Twice The Ease finished out with the washing and was subsequently found to be heavily in season. The race went to the 16 to 1 Faithfulbond who beat the other outsider Splendida by a neck. Since they were the only two horses not covered in the jackpot, the pool of £43,256 will be added to today.
River Cora has also got some fancy future aims including the Kerry National and the Thomas Pink Gold Cup (formerly the Murphys) at Cheltenham in November but he proved his current well being by landing the odds in the conditions chase.
"He's not big so I was a little afraid of the 11.11 and I think big handicaps off a light weight will be his thing," said Willie Mullins.
