McMonagle goes into Galway festival top of the jockeys table after Gowran hat-trick
Galway festival
top of the pile among Ireland's flat jockeys and has a trio of Day One rides to look forward to.
The former champion apprentice enjoyed a 29-1 hat-trick at Gowran Park on Saturday which shot him to the top of the jockeys standings.
McMonagle is now on 52 winners for the year, two ahead of Colin Keane who is suspended. Chris Hayes is third on 44 while Billy Lee, out injured with a broken collarbone, has 40.
It puts the 22-year-old rider from Letterkenny in an enviable position to try and pick up a first senior title.
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Emit's success in the Listed Marble City Stakes was the highlight of McMonagle's Gowran three-timer which opened with another success for his boss Joseph O'Brien on Alibah. Adrian Murray's Crypto Force completed the day.
All three McMonagle rides at Galway are for O'Brien including the newcomer Spangled Sands in the two-year-old maiden.
Dermot Weld has won the race 24 times including with stars such as Grey Swallow in 2003. He relies on the newcomer Masaban this time although the one to beat looks likely to be Constitution River.
Aidan O'Brien's colt was beaten just a short head on his debut at Newmarket earlier this month and that experience could prove crucial. It could also tee up Derby winner Wayne Lordan for another successful festival. He was top flat rider last year with five winners.
Galway's top trainer Willie Mullins kicks off the week with a couple of intriguing runners. Davy Crockett is a half-brother to Mystical Power who won the opening hurdle in 2023 before graduating to top-class status.
His younger sibling is by Camelot and won a bumper easily at Punchestown last month. The runner-up there has been beaten since and goes in Monday's finale. But Davy Crockett could still have too much quality for these.
Mullins gives the 105-rated Rakki a first start in the following handicap hurdle. Formerly in the care of Alan King, the half-brother to St Leger winner Masked Marvel ran 12 times without success, including three times over flights. The third of those was in Newbury last December.
Rakki hasn't looked straightforward at times but is an interesting recruit to the Mullins team. He carries the colours of the syndicate that landed the 2016 Galway Hurdle with Clondaw Warrior. He also won at the 2015 festival and at Royal Ascot that year.
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