Gold Cup and Grand National winning rider Robbie Power is relishing the return of full crowds at this year’s Galway Festival for the first time since 2019.
Owing to the Covid-19 pandemic, the 2021 meeting took place with a reduced crowd, but there are no such restrictions in place for this year’s meeting which gets underway on Monday.
Power, a winner of both the Galway Hurdle and the Galway Plate during his career, believes the return of crowds will play a significant role at the 2022 Festival.
Power, a Boylesports ambassador, who retired from the saddle after this year’s Punchestown Festival, said: “It’s going to be an unbelievable atmosphere. We had it at Cheltenham with the return of the crowds, the Dublin Racing Festival and Galway will be no different, if not even bigger because the crowds will be massive and it’ll be a huge atmosphere.
Galway actually play in the Irish football final this Sunday and if Galway manage to beat Kerry it’ll just be a party for the whole week.
I was unfortunate to ride at Galway when there were no crowds there and it just wasn’t the same at all. The crowd is everything to the Galway races and it’s great to have them back this year.
“Racing fans bring more of a buzz to jockeys because it’s more of a thrill for someone to ride infront of packed stands but I don’t think it affects the results much. Some horses benefited from not having crowds there because the atmosphere can get a bit too much for them, but it’s a plus in every sense having the crowds back.
"The atmosphere at Galway is up there as one of the best in racing. The reception a horse gets, especially after winning at Galway, is on the same level as Cheltenham.
"Galway is a festival where a smaller team can have a big day. When you come back in on a fancied horse at Galway, the reception you get when walking from the parade ring to the winners’ enclosure is as good as anywhere - it’s unbelievable.”
Looking ahead to this year’s meeting, Power has given punters a couple of contenders to keep an eye.
“If I had a free hand to ride any horse in the Galway Hurdle, it’d be Santa Rossa”, said Power. “I’ve won on her before and she has good stamina and good pace. She ticks a lot of boxes for Galway and I can see her running a big race.
“Ricidious has come down in the handicap and won on his last start at Punchestown. It’ll be difficult for him to win the Galway Hurdle but he was fifth last year and always runs well around Galway so he’s certainly got a good each-way chance.”
