Mullins and Townend strike as Royal Rendezvous dominates Galway Plate

Persistence prevailed above all else as Royal Rendezvous atoned for last year's near miss to secure Willie Mullins and Paul Townend a second Tote Galway Plate success ten years after their first by grinding his 21 rivals into submission.

Blazing Tempo did the honours for the duo in 2011, but they've hit the crossbar a few times since. Since 2015, Mullins had supplied the beaten favourite in the €250,000 summer showpiece five times, and in five of the last six years he has departed with the runner-up.

He did so again on this occasion, as Easy Game was the one who chased down Royal Rendezvous, but he vanquished a few ghosts here, not least the fact that he hadn't yet had a winner all week.

Backed into 5-1 favouritism, Townend's Peter Fitzgerald-owned nine-year-old mount fenced with abandon to banish the memory of last year's luckless run when he got caught for room at a crucial point after the final fence.

Paul Townend lifts the Galway PlateCredit: Patrick McCann

He had to settle for the runner-up berth behind Early Doors then, but bossed proceedings here under a cool steer that saw Townend at his calm and assured best.

Samcro set out to make the running with the champion jockey tracking him closely, but the leader blundered badly at the fourth fence. That paved the way for Royal Rendezvous to dictate.

He jumped and galloped effortlessly and Townend stole a few lengths from Koshari and The West's Awake as they swung down the hill the final time. Royal Rendezvous then made the first noticeable mistake two out, but he regained his momentum to ping the final fence. The force was with him this time.

Townend held on to him in front as long as he could as Assemble led the hunting pack, and they had enough in the tank to repel the late thrust of Easy Game by a length, with Modus a similar distance back in third.

Ante-post market leader The Shunter kept on for fourth, although he never managed to land a telling blow. With 11st 5lb on his back, the winner became the first horse to lump 11st or more to victory in the race since Ansar in 2005 thanks in no small part to a Mullins masterplan that saw him run just twice since last year’s bloodied nose.

"Coming home from here last year we said to ourselves we'd make this the plan again," the winning trainer confirmed.

"Last year he was just unlucky, he got knocked down on the bend coming up the hill. He was rated 7lb higher this year but he's improving and is a late developer."

Watch back this year's Galway Plate

Mullins added: "The horse just seemed to come into tremendous form in the last three weeks. I was really pleased with him and you could even see it in him before the race.

"The dapples in his coat, he was like a horse getting ready for the Dublin Horse Show rather than coming here. He just looked a picture for the last three weeks at home and I was counting down the days and hoping we might have a bit of luck. It all worked out."

Townend has scaled many of jump racing's highest peaks since his 2011 triumph. He burst on to the scene at Ballybrit as a 17-year-old tyro when landing the Galway Hurdle on Indian Pace, so the venue has a special place in his heart.

"These are as important as anything. They are the big races in the calendar, not just during the summer," he beamed afterwards.

On being left in the lead so early, he added: "I didn't need to be in front but when he was jumping so well I just left him there and he enjoyed it. He was dynamite at some fences – about as much fun as you could have.

"He was probably a bit unlucky in it last year so I was going to ride the race a bit differently and thankfully it worked out."

If at first you don't succeed, try again, but don't make the same mistake twice. The hallmark of a team obsessed with winning.

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