The highlight of the Galway Races, the Galway Plate, proved a winner of No 3 Oslot, the Paul Nicholls-trained horse ridden by Ruby Walsh and owned by stockbroking millionaire Andy Stewart.
Oslot, the rock solid favourite at 11/4, won yesterday’s feature event, sponsored by William Hill, worth a massive €144,000 to the winner.
The French bred six-year-old may have been running in his first handicap, but under the expert hands of Ruby Walsh, he won and won well. Oslot, who made steady progress throughout the race, took to the lead at the third last fence from the long-time leader The Joker, and by the last, he was well clear of the chasing Oodachee, Ansar, and Brave Right, winning in the end by a clear four lengths.
As a result there was no fairytale for the veteran Ansar and Dermot Weld. A seven-times Galway winner, and one of a rare number who have won both plate and hurdle at the Galway meeting, Ansar won the plate in 2004 and 2005. Yesterday she bravely battled to come in third at 11/1, behind Charlie Swan’s Oodachee in second at 14/1.
Oslot was always regarded as the main danger in this year’s field, while Britain’s champion trainer Nicholls also saddled Hoo La Baloo for the 2mile six furlong handicap chase
