Jockey Shay Barry received a perfect send-off when winning yesterday's big race, the Guinness Galway Hurdle, on the Co Waterford-trained Black Queen.
Barry (26) flies to Adelaide on Sunday as part of the four-man Irish jump jockeys team which takes on its Australian counterparts in a seven-race series. The team will ride in three races in Adelaide and four in Melbourne.
Whatever jet-lag Barry experiences on the flight down under will be forgotten when he thinks back to yesterday's success and his percentage of the £36,750 first prize.
"Coming here with a live chance of winning was fantastic but words can't describe actually winning," said Barry, who was having only his second ride in the race.
It was a novel experience for the rising young star of jump racing as he met Black Queen for the first time only last weekend. "I rode her in a piece of work and we seemed to get on well together," he added.
It was an all-Waterford success as owner Heinz Pollmeier, although German born, is a neighbour of Barry in Dunhill near Tramore. Mr Pollmeier has lived in Ireland since 1970 and is a prominent businessman in the south-east.
Trainer John Kiely has his stables near Dungarvan and was less anxious than many others when his well-backed 10/1 shot was nearer last than first with a circuit to go.
"She loves to come from behind and past horses so we planned to drop her right out. She really battled up that hill," said Kiely, whose previous best Galway moment came in 1989 when he trained Nameloc to win the GPT Handicap.
For the second day running, J.P. McManus's family had to make do with second place. Noreen McManus's Lucky Town finished runner-up in the plate and her husband's Tidjani had victory snatched from him as Black Queen made her late, late run.
"It's a long way home up that hill and the winner is one animal you don't want to see chasing you," said McManus.
Dr Michael Smurfit had better luck when his Musical Mayhem won an earlier race and trainer Dermot Weld declared he was a candidate for Cheltenham next year.
Dr Smurfit had a big smile on his face after that but it was nothing compared to former champion jockey Richard Dunwoody who was riding his first winner since sustaining serious neck injuries 10 weeks ago.
