As the dust settles on the Galway Festival for another year the week long spectacular more than lived up to expectations and a particularly heartening aspect of the meeting was the success enjoyed by some of the country’s smaller stables.

Over the course of the week Willie Mullins dominated with an outstanding twelve winners, Joseph O’Brien had his team in superb shape while the National Hunt superpowers of Gigginstown House Stud carried off the Plate and the Hurdle. However, quite a few smaller yards flourished and a number trainers made their mark at the fixture for the first time.

Cork-based trainer John Joe Walsh was perhaps the best example of this as he won with both his runners and carried off a six figure pot when his Ballyegan Hero landed the penultimate day feature. This success in particular showed that major handicaps aren’t just the preserve of the elite and it was encouraging to see a varied spread of winners over the seven days.

AMEDEO SHINES

A total of 137,682 spectators attended the meeting which was marginally down on last year but still makes for good reading and on the equine front a host of horses could be singled out for praise.

One horse that stands apart though was Aidan O’Brien’s Amedeo Modigliani who was a most impressive winner of a two-year-old maiden last Saturday.

His victory came in a race that went to Capri twelve months ago and he could well be another Group 1 winner in waiting. Admittedly he faced a very straight forward task but there is absolutely no doubt that he is a high class colt.

BAD LUCK FOR BOOKMAKERS

To stay with Galway the Tote aggregate for the week was just over €6.2m which was a decrease of around half a million on last year. However, more concerning is the situation of the on course bookmakers. Their handle dropped from almost €8m to just over €7.3m.

It is interesting to note that in 2012, when the overall attendance for the week was smaller than this year, the bookies turned over in excess of €8.7m and this was achieved at a time when the country was still struggling badly. At the end of a week that is absolutely pivotal to the health of the on course betting market the bookmakers figures give cause for concern.

GOODWOOD ACTION

Unfortunately testing going at Goodwood meant that Churchill’s bid to get back on track for the season will have to wait a little longer but stablemate Winter once again carried all before her in the Nassau Stakes. Over a new trip and on ground that was a major unknown this brilliant filly made it four Group 1s on the bounce.

While injury has forced Minding into retirement Aidan O’Brien has another filly of unique quality on his hands. It remains to be seen what direction Winter will head in now but her Goodwood effort suggested that she could be worth a try at a mile and a half and a clash between her and John Gosden’s star filly Enable at some stage this autumn would really be something to savour.

CARAVAGGIO DEFEAT

By contrast stablemate Caravaggio met with his second defeat at Deauville on Sunday. The Royal Ascot hero had legitimate excuses for his defeat at Newmarket last month but this was a disappointing effort and he looked some way short of the form he showed to claim a vintage Commonwealth Cup less than two months previously. He has work to do if he is to get back to the summit of the sprinting division.