Galmoy Hurdle report, reaction & free video replay: Royal Kahala wins as Klassical Dream well beaten

The Willie Mullins-trained Klassical Dream was sent off the 1/3 favourite on the back of his Grade One Christmas Hurdle win at Leopardstown over Christmas but, after typically making the running under Paul Townend, ended up weakening into fourth as Peter Fahey's mare galloped her way to victory at odds of 9/2.

Royal Kahala, ridden by Kevin Sexton and in receipt of 11lb from the penalised market leader, was under pressure turning for home but found generously for her rider's urgings and ultimately stayed on best of all to score by a length and three-quarters from 80/1 outsider Home By The Lee, with Ashdale Bob (33/1) back in third just a couple of lengths ahead of Klassical Dream.

Paddy Power and Betfair halved the price of the winner for the Mares' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, while Klassical Dream was eased to 6/1 for the Stayers' Hurdle, for which Champ hardened to a best price of 11/4.

Sky Bet cut Royal Kahala to 5/1 from 8/1 in their antepost Mares' Hurdle market, and 7/2 from 7s with the Non Runner No Bet concession.

Fahey said: “It was a brilliant performance. If you go back through her form, her bad run was at Cheltenham last year and she was lame after it. We were always keen to step her up to the three miles as her jumping is a bit slow. When they are going that bit quicker over two and a half on quicker ground she can make the odd mistake.

“That gives us options. I’m not saying after that she’s definitely going to go for the Stayers’, we’ll see closer to it. If the ground was very soft in Cheltenham on the first day she could go for the Mares’ Hurdle. Hopefully she comes out of this race well and fingers crossed we’ll rock on to Cheltenham."

He added: “I expected her to run a huge race today. She was working well at home and is a filly we always thought a lot of. Cheltenham will be ground dependent. I wouldn’t run her on good ground over there. She’d want a bit of soft in it.”

Sexton told RTE: “She’s just so tough. I never had any doubt she’s stay three miles and she stayed every bit of it. I got there at the second-last as I wanted to take Paul off the bridle. If anything I probably should have held on to her a bit longer, it probably wouldn’t have been as hard work.

“She’s idling down the straight and she jumped right at the last, I’d say she still had a bit left. When I jumped the third-last and I gave her a squeeze, and when I saw him (Townend) dip his lad coming down the hill in front of me I thought then I had every chance of beating him.

“I thought it was all about who would find more off the bridle from there and I knew she’d find plenty. She travelled and she jumped, she’s so clever. Peter always tells me to leave her alone, but she has so much scope it’s hard to do it. You be afraid you’d put her on the ground because she’s clever enough to do it herself.

“It’s great for the yard and the syndicate and I’m just privileged and very lucky to be in the position I’m in. I thankful to everyone who keeps putting me up.”

Of Klassical Dream, Townend said: “I’m disappointed. The ground is testing, it’s tacky old ground."

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