Nurburgring too hot to handle in Galway Plate

Nurburgring galloped on strongly to run out a convincing winner of the €270,000 Guinness Galway Hurdle for Joseph O’Brien and J J Slevin.

The four-year-old was highly thought of by connections all last season and stayed on well to be fourth in the Triumph Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

Having also been third in Grade One novice company at Punchestown, he had a recent warm-up spin on the level and was a well-backed 13-2 chance on his handicap debut over obstacles.

The Willie Mullins-trained pair of Anotherway and Williamstowndancer took them along in the early stages but Nurburgring was always travelling nicely in behind and jumped to the front two out before kicking for home.

He was not completely fluent at the final flight but found plenty after it to pull clear for an emphatic seven-length triumph ahead of the fast-finishing Ndaawi, who just pipped My Mate Mozzie for second place.

O’Brien said: “When he ran well in Punchestown, we decided this was a good mid-summer target. He had a little holiday and then had a nice run over a shortish trip on the Flat at Leopardstown to blow the cobwebs away.

“He came here with the four-year-olds’ allowance and really it was a fantastic ride from J J. He got a good start, a lovely position and made a lovely move at the top of the hill. It was a very impressive performance.

“He was a fresh horse today and was dropping from a Grade One into a handicap, which is always a help. Today was the target, so we won’t rush him back but he will be going back into graded races somewhere.”

Neil Sands, a member of his family’s Bronsan Racing syndicate, the winning owners, added: “We’re only involved in racing for four or five years, so a big thanks to Joseph O’Brien and his staff.

“There is a whole army of backroom people who never stand in the ring (winner’s enclosure) or never get a day like this, but they are the backbone of the team and they make these things happen.”

The contest was the subject of plenty of pre-race attention when it emerged the well-backed Petrol Head had been withdrawn at the request of the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board.

A statement from the IHRB read: “Following notification from LGC Laboratories of a screening finding in a post-race sample taken from Petrol Head at Bellewstown on July 6 2024, the IHRB immediately commenced an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the screening finding.

“At 11am on Thursday August 1, the IHRB received confirmation from LGC Laboratories of the presence of a prohibited substance in the sample taken at Bellewstown.

“As a result of this confirmation of a prohibited substance and following the IHRB investigation into the matter, the Directors of the IHRB have withdrawn Petrol Head from the Guinness Galway Hurdle Handicap under the provisions of Rule 21 of the Rules of Racing.

“The IHRB will not be commenting any further on the matter until the disciplinary process is complete.”