Clare-based breeders living Cheltenham Gold Cup dream

Quin will be hopping if Galvin wins steeplechasing’s blue riband, writes Michael Duggan who speaks to the breeders of the horse

WHEN close friends Sean O’Brien and Gay O’Gara, decided to breed from their Galway Festival-winning mare, Burren Moonshine, neither in their wildest dreams would have predicted that, one day, one of her offspring, Galvin, would be a leading contender for the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Both now living in Quin – O’Brien is a Tyrone native, while O’Gara’s roots are from rural County Roscommon – the pair are fiercely proud that a horse they jointly bred is fancied in such an historic and iconic race.

Chatting to the Clare Champion ahead of Friday week’s showpiece, O’Gara said: “Obviously, we weren’t thinking in terms of the Gold Cup, but I knew Galvin was special right from the word go.

“I lunged him at home before he went to the sales and, even then, there was something about him that stood out.

“No matter what you’d ask him to do, or how much I did with him, he never tired. It was as if he was saying I’ll handle anything you throw at me.

“He was athletic, well-balanced and, I know it’s easy to say it now, but I always felt he was special.”

O’Gara still fondly recalls the day Galvin’s dam, Burren Moonshine, won a two-and-a-half-mile handicap hurdle at the 2004 Galway summer festival.

“Without a doubt that was best day in sport I’ve had to-date. Sean and I were there with both our families and it was just a massive occasion.

“She was trained by a great friend of ours in Donie Hassett. He had her primed to the minute for it and she won impressively under a good ride from Robbie Power.

“Burren Moonshine had to have firm ground, in fact it couldn’t be fast enough for her. Donie advised us to send her to England where she’d have better options on that score.

“We sent her to Peter Bowen and she won a couple of races including the 2007 Durham National in Sedgefield for him. She came home shortly after that and retired to the breeding sheds in 2008.”

The fact that having an association to a fancied runner in the Gold Cup is noteworthy, is not lost on Galvin’s joint-breeder.

“We are a very small operation and we are well aware that some very high-profile breeders will be trying all their life to produce a horse good enough to even compete at that level.

“To us, the Gold Cup is the holy grail. The Grand National is obviously a huge race, but in the world of steeplechasing, there’s nothing like the Cheltenham feature. Such famous names have won it over the years, it’s an honour to be linked to it, even in such a small way.”

Naturally, O’Gara makes a strong case why Galvin has every chance in the next week’s big race.

“I genuinely believe Galvin has a fantastic chance. He is improving all the time and there is still a good bit left in the tank. He’s a brilliant jumper, not a flamboyant one, but he just pings them without breaking his stride.”

“When he was second to Frodon in the  Champion Chase at Down Royal back last November, I thought that was a good run. He really put himself in the Gold Cup picture though when he won the Savills Chase at Leopardstown.

😍 What a Savills Chase…

🏅 A brilliant race from GALVIN 7/1 to snatch victory from A Plus Tard.

🔥 A true Christmas cracker at Leopardstown.

📹 @RacingTV pic.twitter.com/xUFqucp8kK

— oddschecker (@oddschecker) December 28, 2021

“He was taking on the best horses around in that. A lot of people felt he was beaten when dropping to third turning into the home straight that day, but I knew he wasn’t. He’s as tough as old boots. He really had to dig deep to beat last year’s Gold Cup runner-up A Plus Tard by a short-head.

“The fact that he won last year’s National Hunt Chase at the festival is a big plus, he’s actually won twice around the track.

“If he’s there or thereabouts jumping the last, he’ll come home best up that final hill. He never knows when he’s beaten.”
Not surprisingly, the O’Gara family will be well represented at Prestbury Park next week to cheer on the Davy Russell-ridden son of Gold Well. 

“Eight of us are travelling over, we wouldn’t miss it for the world. There has been local success before at the meeting, the late John Hassett trained Generosa to win there. Dual Champion Chase winner, Moscow Flyer, was bred in Meelick by Eddie Joyce, it would fantastic if we could follow in their footsteps.”

Interestingly, in a further link to the Gold Cup, O’Gara reveals that it was the late legendary Newmarket-on-Fergus trainer Tom Costello who initially sparked his interest in racing.

“I was involved with ponies and half-breds, but it was Tom who sold me my first racehorse. He was a very knowledgeable man, who as most people know, was responsible for sourcing six individual Cheltenham Gold Cup winners.” 

Recent positive reports from the Elliott camp have further encouraged the Castlefergus Stud-owner, who is counting down the hours as the day of destiny beckons. 

“Gordon is bullish about him and feels that Galvin has improved no end since Christmas. He’ll have the horse firing on all cylinders that’s for sure. He bypassed the Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown with him in order to arrive fresh and well next week.” 

“Everywhere we go people are talking about Cheltenham and the horse. It’s brilliant and lots of people have been wishing us good luck. I hope he gets around safe and sound. If that happens, I know he’ll do us proud.”