King makes history as he completes big Galway double

Daniel King confirmed the impression he is a star in the making when becoming the first jockey in 42 years to add the Guinness Galway Hurdle to his Galway Plate success as Putapoundinthejar gave Tony Martin another win in the feature.

The late Joe Byrne was the last jockey to pick up the two Galway Festival highlights in the same week, landing the double on Master Player and Tara Lee in 1984.

Just 24 hours after a strong ride to get King Alexander home for trainer Willie Mullins, King enjoyed an armchair ride on 10-1 shot Putapoundinthejar to land the second €270,000 race of the week.

Martin, landing his fifth Galway Hurdle, has compared King to a “young Ruby Walsh” and there seems little doubt the 21-year-old from Kilbrin in County Cork is destined for the top.

“I didn’t get to see all the race but everywhere I did see, he was travelling so well,” said Martin.

“He was where you wanted him to be at all stages and for a lad of his age, he is some talent. I haven’t seen a lot with his talent in a lot of years.”

King said: “As I said yesterday it’s an unbelievable feeling. It’s dream stuff, really. Coming here this week, I had a few nice rides and I was hopeful, but I had never ridden a winner at the Galway Festival before.

“To get two of the biggest pots of the week, it’s class. It means everything. He jumped savage all the way round, didn’t miss a beat and took me into the race so easily. It was just a matter of getting a gap and a gap opened up lovely. It was plain sailing from there.”

Earlier on the mixed card trainer Joe Murphy ended a winless drought of over nine months when Pivotal Attack landed the Listed Arthur Guinness Irish EBF Corrib Fillies Stakes.

The Fethard trainer, who sprung a 33-1 shock with Cercene in the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot last year, had not trained a winner since October.But Pivotal Attack (3-1) opened what Murphy now hopes will be the floodgates when ending the winning streak of the prolific Meriden under Gary Carroll to repeat her Galway Festival success over course and distance 12 months ago.

“This is a big relief as sometimes you are left wondering, am I praying to the right Gods,” said Murphy. “We had been placed in premier handicaps and group races, but have had no winner. It is like going to the mart and not getting any money for a calf.“Hopefully this will turn the corner. In racing, you live with it and celebrate the good days. They’ll eventually come back to form and my owners are forgiving as well, and have stayed loyal.”Eoin McCarthy’s Shadow Paddy (5-2 favourite) continued his upward progress over fences when landing the Grade Three Guinness Open Gate Brewery Novice Chase under Gary Noonan.“I was under pressure today as I thought it was our race to lose which, for an outfit of our size, is pressure,” said the trainer.

“The race didn’t go to plan as he was going too well and then drifted wide, but once he knuckled down he settled it quickly.”