Rionach

Rionach did remarkably well to finish third in the Colm Quinn BMW mile. She completely missed the break, she was 3l behind the second last horse after 50 yards, and she was behind and wide for most of the way. Still only around 13th or 14th as they raced down the hill towards the home turn, she was widest of all at that stage, she was about five horse-widths off the inside rail, and she was under pressure from 3f out, but she responded admirably to that pressure. She stayed on strongly for Gary Halpin up the hill, getting up to take third place behind Riven Light and Bond Street.

Michael O’Callaghan’s filly is only three, she was one of just two three-year-olds in the race (Bond Street was the other) and she was the only filly, and this was just her sixth race. She only won her maiden in early July at Tipperary, and she followed up by winning a 1m rated race at Killarney two weeks before Galway, impressively form Aussie Valentine, who finished fourth here, just a head behind Rionach. She was raised 12lb for that to a mark of 92, but she proved that she was well able for that type of mark at Galway. The handicapper raised her by another 1lb for her Galway run, and that is more than fair. She is a really progressive filly. She would be of big interest in a handicap now off that mark, and she could progress to be a Group race filly.

Galway, 31^st July 2018