THOUSANDS BEGAN THEIR annual pilgrimage out west today as the Galway Races got underway in Ballybrit.
Here are some of the best pictures from day one:
First up, there was a race with a difference
The festival kicked off with the charity Bridal Party race, run in aid of Special Olympics Ireland. Corrinna Maguire made sure to get some practice in before the off.
The rugby lads made the most of their Monday off
Connacht’s Andrew Browne and Brett Wilkinson tried to help Leinster’s Sean Cronin and Fergus McFadden pick a winner.
There were plenty of fancy frocks
Miss Galway, Laura Fox from Moylough.
Fiona Faherty from Moycullen.
Trish Cullen and Sharon O’Toole from Moycullen.
Sandra Mullen from Tuam.
Lola Donoghue from Tuam.
And then, of course, there was the actual racing
They don’t call Dermot Weld “the King of Ballybrit” for nothing. He took the day’s opening race with Ruby Walsh and Diplomat, one of two winners for the yard today…
Mustajeeb, ridden by Pat Smullen, was the other.
The feature on day one was the Connacht Hotel Handicap.
It was won by Steven Clements on the Tony Martin-trained Edeymi in the colours of Michael O’Leary’s Gigginstown House Stud.
(All pictures by ©INPHO/James Crombie)
Click here to see the results in full (via AtTheRaces) >
