Davy Crockett collects on hurdling bow at Galway

Davy Crockett lived up to his regal breeding with a comprehensive victory in the Galway Bay Hotel & The Galmont Hotel Novice Hurdle.

The Willie Mullins-trained four-year-old is a son of dual Derby hero Camelot out of Champion Hurdle-winning mare Annie Power, making him a half-brother to dual Grade One victor Mystical Power, who landed this Galway Festival curtain-raiser two years ago.

Easy winner of a Punchestown bumper on his debut in early June, the 1-2 favourite to make a successful transition to the jumping game raised brief concerns for his supporters two out, but knuckled down well for Mark Walsh in the straight to beat Mick Collins by two and a half lengths.

Mullins said: “I was very happy with how efficient his jumping was except, for the mistake at the second-last. For a horse having his first run over hurdles and just the second run of his career, I was very pleased with him.

“We’ll just keep going down the novice hurdle route and hopefully he might make into a Royal Bond horse. He could go to Listowel before then.”

Mullins also paid tribute to training great Edward O’Grady, who died on Sunday at the age of 75.

He added: “Edward was someone that back in the day we looked up to. He was the foremost trainer going to Cheltenham – when no one (from Ireland) was having runners or winners in Cheltenham, he was having one or two of them every year.

“People forget how difficult it was for Irish trainers to bring horses across and win and Edward had fantastic horses. He had a great Galway connection of course with Golden Cygnet, owned by Ray Rooney who was chairman here in Galway.

“He’ll be sorely missed in Irish racing.”