Champagne on ice as fallen legends are honoured at Ballybrit

THE Galway Races got off to an emotional start yesterday as two lost legends of horseracing were remembered on opening day.

- BY DEREK FOLEY

Racing fans flocked to Ballybrit for the highlight of their annual calendar, the weeklong racing festival that will attract 130,000 punters over seven days of action.

The atmosphere was tempered early on by a poignant tribute to legendary Irish trainer Eddie O'Grady, who died on Sunday morning.

His death was announced by his family yesterday morning.

And winner of the big race, amateur Alan O'Sullivan said his brother Michael - who died last year - must have been looking down on him as he won on Filey Bay.

As he passed the post, O'Sullivan looked up at the sky.

The death of Michael, a professional jockey, shocked the racing world when he died following an accident at Thurles racecourse last February.

Alan was riding the Emmet Mullins-trained, JP McManus-owned Filey Bay in the Connacht Hotel handicap, with the initials "MOS" on the saddle.

He said afterwards: "It is what he [Michael] would have done. It's unbelievable.

"Michael was looking down on me I think, yeah."