Pub landlord survives illness and mugging to see horse run at Galway | Irish Sun
IT has been said that the Galway Races cannot escape rain-free, due solely to the clouds formed by the steam that rises from the masses partying in The Hole In The Wall Bar nightly.So if that’s the norm, what happens tonight should pub landlord Stevie Fahy’s Holeinthewall Bar win the Tote Jackpot €40,000 Guarantee Handicap Hurdle?
“I’ve never had a winner at Galway,” says Stevie. “I’ve had a number of good horses with Michael Hourigan, Holeinthewall Bar’s trainer, but they haven’t won at Galway.
“Michael knows that I’d love to win at Galway - it would be so great for me, and for the business. If the ground is right, he should have a good chance, and you can be sure we’ll be trying for our lives.”
The 62-year-old has mixed emotions about Galway Race Week. On the one hand, it’s a gold mine for his pub, with its garden filled to bursting every night - come rain or shine.
On the other, that success attracts opportunists and he distinctly remembers one night he thought might be his last.
“We were mugged,” he says. “I was tied up, they tried to put scarves down my mouth and were shoving hats down over my eyes. I was lucky to get out of it alive. But they took all our money so I don’t keep it in the house at all anymore.”
And he hasn’t had luck with his winners either. “Stevie B won six,” he says. “But they were all when I was in hospital. I never saw him win once and when I did get to see him run, he fell and sadly died."
He adds: “You have to be philosophical about these things though. I’m still here, we’re all still here and we're lucky to have Holeinthewall Bar running at Galway.”
Another local is also hoping for success today. Young trainer Norman Lee, a Clare man based near Gort, was saddling his first Galway festival runners last year when Supreme Vic finished second in today’s mares’ handicap hurdle.
That lady returns for round two and is joined by Blackandamber Vic, whose position in the handicap looks remarkably like Supreme Vic’s did 12 months ago.
Lee, carrying a broken elbow, says: “I’m hopeful both will run well, though its a big step up in class from their first and second in Ballinrobe.
“Supreme Vic was second last year carrying 2 lbs overweight. She’s won her last two now and is therefore a lot higher, but we’re expecting a big run from her with Adam O’Neill claiming 5 lb off.
“The other filly is improving away and going well. She’s ridden by Shane Shortall, who rode Supreme Vic last year, and she has a nice light weight.”
Later in the week Lee is set to be represented by surprise recruit Tribes And Banner. He explains: “We had him in doing some roadwork for fitness and luckily enough when his trainer Charlie Swan decided to retire we got to keep him; the owners decided to let us train him.”
He adds: “We have him in a couple of races later in the week and we’re very excited about him.”
Lee, formerly a carpenter, in his fourth full season as a trainer and expanding. With 14 horses already in training, he plans to build five new stables to accommodate what he hopes will be a team of 25 for the winter.
