Other big races in Britain and France will become regular betting mediums for Tote customers. Other highlights during the week included a Dermot Weld haul of 10 winners, his fourth time to achieve this notable milestone, while the Christy Roche-trained Grimes carried the colours of J.P. McManus to victory in the Galway Plate under Conor O Dwyer. The Galway seven-day meeting has such magnetic powers that even Barney Curley, who vowed some years ago that he would never run another horse at the meeting, saddled a winner in the shape of Kalingalinga. Galway Festival should contact Eamon Dunphy to enter for an episode of The Weakest Link . Do these people know that Tote Ireland is working on full capacity at Galway on the Sunday.
All machines are in operation, full staff etc.
What bookmaker in his right mind having a good week at Ballybrit is going to pack up on Saturday evening and head to Cork where the betting figures have been nothing short of disasterous. Of course, the new Horseracing Ireland when it is fully operational later this year will bring all sides together to avoid this sort of poor planning. Well, that s the thinking behind the new body. Time will tell in due course. Finally,the Irish National Hunt Jockeys Team has arrived safely in Adelaide where the annual challenge agains t Australia begins this week.