Pinkerton defies odds to land Galway Plate for Noel Meade and delighted stand-in Donagh Meyler

Pinkerton defied being dismissed by the market to run out a battling winner of the Tote Galway Plate at odds of 20-1 thanks in no small part to a sublime Donagh Meyler steer.

Despite coming into the €270,000 Ballybrit feature on a hat-trick after wins over two miles at Tipperary and Punchestown at the end of last season, the eight-year-old was easy to back with odds of up to 50-1 available in places. He was stepping up to this 2m6½f trip for the first time, but he saw it out fine.

Trained by one of Galway's most decorated practitioners in Noel Meade, the Phily Polly-owned gelding was clearly in mint condition after his 90-day absence. Having been dropped right in by Meyler, he travelled elegantly into contention before leading once they straightened up the final time. 

The Gordon Elliott-trained pair of Duffle Coat and Zanahiyr pursued him home along with Life In The Park with the winning margin only half a length, but that did not quite do justice to the nature of Pinkerton's superiority.

For both Meade and Meyler, this was a second victory in the summer showpiece, Meade claiming it with Road To Riches in 2014 and Meyler aboard Elliott's Lord Scoundrel two years later, both of whom were owned by Michael O'Leary's Gigginstown firm.

Meyler had worked for Meade early in his career, and Elliott claiming Pinkerton's regular rider Sam Ewing for the well-beaten Tullybeg opened the door for a reunion.

"I was trying to coax Sam off Gordon," Meade relayed heartily. "We even had a ding-dong at the match [All-Ireland final] on Sunday. I said, 'Ah, you'll give him to me' and he said, 'We might be great friends, but this is war!' 

"I've always had great time for Donagh. He is a super horseman and he gave him a super ride."

Big celebrations in the Galway winner's enclosureCredit: Patrick McCann

Meade, who promptly doubled up in the next race with Monasterboice (9-2), has won the Galway Hurdle three times, the Monday night feature four times and the Tuesday showpiece three times. The Plate was the one that had proved most elusive for him, but he is starting to master it now despite much of his focus these days being on the Flat. 

"It's a huge race to win," he beamed after this throwback victory. "I thought I wasn't going to get it for a while and then Road To Riches popped up, and after this fellow won at Punchestown, we said we'd wait for here with him. We gave him a little break and brought him back in again, and he has been doing everything right. 

“The worry was whether he'd stay, but he was bred by Jimmy Mangan and he was sourced from the Costellos, so he was probably always going to stay."

Meyler, who rides predominantly for Emmet Mullins, sung from a similar hymn sheet. 

"It's fantastic, unreal. It's very special to win it again," said the 28-year-old. "It’s been a long eight years, but it was great to fall in for the ride." 

He added of his mount: "He did everything right. He travelled and jumped amazing and I couldn't have been happier with him anywhere."

Elliott's 2023 hero Ash Tree Meadow cut out the early running before fading, paving the way for Duffle Coat to take second ahead of Zanahiyr. The favourite Perceval Legallois never quite threatened before finishing eighth.

"They've both run blinders," Elliott said of his placed duo. "And I'm over the moon for Noel, we've been great pals over the years."

Duffle Coat's rider Danny Gilligan, who won the race on Ash Tree Meadow last year, was hit with an eight-day whip ban for his efforts in defeat this time, while Mike O'Connor was slapped with a 16-day suspension for a fourth whip offence on the fourth, Life In The Park. 

Attendance on the day came to 16,023, down slightly on 16,604 in 2023.

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