Poignant race tribute & ‘Will You Marry Me?' bet slip proposal – family affair at Galway races amid Thurles future hopes

The Irish Sun

2 days ago

NAN'S View made it a family affair in the big race at Galway with trainer Jarlath Fahey naming the horse after his mother who lived just down the road from the famous Ballybrit course.
The 12/1 shot pipped it at the post in the
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Nans View and Leigh Roche won the Guinness Handicap for Jarlath Fahey
Credit: HEALY RACING
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Amy Clyne from Mullingar enjoying the thirteenth year of Athlone Towncentre's 'Friday's Most Stylish'
Credit: Inpho
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Conor McDonald arranged for Paddy Power to make a bet slip with the words 'Will You Marry Me?' for his partner Emily Fennell
Credit: Instagram/Galwayraces_official
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The best slip
Trainer Jarlath Fahey said: 'Both my parents are from
'The filly was named the year my mother died. She was a big Galway woman and she was called Nan's View because mammy used to always look out on the yard.
'We didn't think she'd turn out as good as she could and I don't know whether it is divine intervention, luck or someone looking after us but for her to be a Galway specialist and win a premier handicap on a Galway day – there is more at play here than I think just good training.'
Gavin Cromwell's Mighty Danu had the first win of the day in the Maiden.
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Intense Approach breezed past the post in the Beginners Chase, while Turnpike Trip took the victory in the Handicap Chase.
Paddy Power bookies said the 'safest and best bet of the week' involved a man asking for our help to propose to his girlfriend at Galway earlier this week.
Conor McDonald arranged for Paddy Power to make a bet slip with the words 'Will You Marry Me?' for his partner Emily Fennell at odds of 1,000,000/1.
Paddy Power spokesperson Paul Binfield said: 'Ballybrit has been its usual mixture of serious racing and savage fun and while the layers gained the upper hand early in the week,
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'So with honours even and three days of craziness to go, there's still everything to play for, but whether punters are winning or losing, everyone will be over the moon that a bookie managed to assist one lucky Romeo in winning the safest and best bet of his lifetime.'
Anthony Kaminskas, from AKA Bets, said the bookies were bashed on Thursday.
Patrick Mullins reveals plans for superstar horses after Galway races and Cheltenham & Punchestown preparation
He said: 'The first three days were very good for the bookmakers.
'Our on-course and online teams won money each day meaning punters were behind.
'Quite a few fancied horses were beaten so punters were struggling.
'Thursday started in a similar vein with bookmakers winning for the first half of the card.
'The last four results yesterday were very bad for the bookies. Fancied horses winning.
'I think we lost €18.5k on the track Thursday overall so definitely a day to be a punter.'
Spokesperson for William Hill, Lee Phelps, said the team 'take serious money at the meeting each year'.
He said: 'There's no doubt that most of that money is taken on the Plate and Hurdle each year, which are two of the biggest handicaps across the entire season.
'This year has been no different, where turnover has been strong.
'Ndaawi was a notably poor result for us at William Hill in the Galway Hurdle, as he was well-backed ante-post and on the day too.
'We can safely say that the stewards' decision didn't go in our favour.'
'SUPER WEEK'
Alex Apati from Ladbrokes said it was a 'super week so far for bookies', with results in the feature races being 'particularly favourable' for them.
He said: 'This is always a competitive festival, but we're used to seeing more winning favourites than we have done so far this week, which has naturally made for a great few days for our books.'
'Thursday was very much one for the punters, with the double result in the Hurdle doing us some damage.
'That being said, a 40/1 winner of the Listed Corrib Fillies Stakes meant we were already in a decent position for the day.'
'There's still a long way to go but at this point, punters have got some catching up to do.'
Ahead of BOYLE
'That said, there's plenty of racing left to come over the weekend and punters have every chance of clawing it back before the curtain falls on another cracking
MY VIEW
AFTER a busy day of racing and fashion yesterday, I was ready to make the most of my final day at the
The sun came out again as punters rolled in to Ballybrit.
Highlight of the day was meeting comedian and
A big fan of Charlotte Tilbury, the Monaghan woman told how she finally got to meet her make-up hero. Kayleigh said: 'I had assumed she wouldn't know who I was. When I went to meet her, she just turned around and she was like, 'it's you darling'. And I was like, 'she knows who I am'.'
The news Thurles Racecourse is closing was the talk of the track. Jockey Patrick Mullins said: 'There are other places that you can gallop your horses but Thurles was my father Willie's preferred place. So yeah things will change a little bit.'
It's been an amazing week and I can't wait to return in 2026!
The racing community woke up to the shock news that Thurles Racecourse had closed with immediate effect.
Champion jockey Patrick Mullins said it's the 'end of an era for Irish racing'.
He said: 'I had my very first race ride at Thurles, the last meeting before Christmas 2005 on a mare called Screaming Witness who we still have some of her progeny.
'So it's where I started. Thurles on a Thursday in the winter was what National Hunt Racing was in Ireland.
'So the Molonys ran it fantastically well and we considered them friends. It's a sad day but we have a lot of great memories there.'
Looking at the season ahead, many of the Mullins' horses will be coming off break.
Patrick added: 'Once we get Galway out of the way, and that's the summer over for us, we get all our winter horses back in from their holidays, they were out May, June, July.
'So the likes of Galopin de Champs, State Man, Gaelic Warrior, Nick Rockett who's obviously my favourite at the moment, they'll all be coming back in after holidays big and fat.
'We'll start them back very slow. And with us we'd like to get three, maybe four months training into them before they run.
'So it'll be November, maybe December time before they have their first race, and we aim to peak for Cheltenham and Punchestown in March, April.
'LONG ROAD'
'So it's a long road, but it's always an exciting time of year, to see all the superstars, the Galacticos back in, and all the dreams are alive.'
Clodagh Cosgrove from Athlone was announced as winner of Athlone Towncentre's 'Friday's Most Stylish'.
Dressed in a purple dress and hat from Depop, the lucky lady bagged a luxury shop and stay break worth over €4500.
She said: 'I was so shocked. The style here is really, honestly, amazing.'
Celebrity judge Kayleigh Trappe stunned in a cream and butter-yellow look.
She said: 'This is my second time here. I wasn't here last year, but I was here the year before, and it was a fantastic day out.
'It's crazy, but I love all the little things that go on. There's something for everybody.
'I wouldn't have a breeze about betting, but I love the style element of it. So it's got something for everyone, and then obviously the champagne tent helps.'
LIFE CHANGING
The comedian told how Dancing With The Stars was life changing.
She said: 'I had a habit of throwing up a veil. And obviously on my page, it's all skits and giggles, as I say.
'I have such control, so on that show you can't help but be vulnerable.'
Kayleigh added: 'When the show ended, it was like someone had died. I was like, 'if you need me, you'll find me in bed crying'.
'Because it was just such a big part of my life. But luckily, days like today, getting to do Friday's Most Stylish is fantastic.'
Shirley Delahunt from Athlone Towncentre added: 'The Friday evening is a lovely evening in Galway because it's that little bit more laid back.
'People are getting ready for the bank holiday weekend and everything like that. So there's always a lovely sort of friendly vibe to it.
'It's funny actually because every year that we're down here doing Friday's Most Stylish, you see a lot of the same faces and you actually get to know people.
'You only see them once a year but you're catching up with them.'
The Bentley Boys, The Gamblers, DJ Doc and Bula Beag kept the crowd going all day.
'IT'S FANTASTIC'
The Bentley Boys Band member Rory Boyle said: 'It's always great here. It's fantastic. Playing to the crowds here is fantastic. I mean, it's really interactive as well.
'People just seem to be enjoying the music as they walk past for a drink or to hopefully pick up a nice winning.
'It's something different as well, because it's not quite a stadium gig or a
Elsewhere in Galway, the pubs are overflowing with punters ready for more racing and the long weekend.
General Manager at The Quays Pub, Paul Flood, said: 'We are experiencing a fantastic week again this year. The atmosphere in Galway is electric and especially here in The Quays bar and Restaurant.
'Mike Denver got the ball rolling Monday night to a full house which continued all week into the bar and upstairs music venue to the delight of the customers and created a very special atmosphere.'
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Eilis Dempsey from Corofin, Co Galway at the Athlone Towncentre's 'Friday's Most Stylish'
Credit: Inpho
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Nans View and Leigh Roche, left, win the Guinness Handicap from Cheeky Wink, right
Credit: www.healyracing.ie