DEMONSTRATING reserves of stamina that many a younger man could only envy, veteran race analyst Tony Sweeney nominated his ‘Two against the field’ for every single race throughout the seven-day Galway marathon.
In his appraisal of the Signature Novice Hurdle on Ladies’ Day Tony wrote as follows: ‘In the supplementary index to Francis Hyland’s masterful History of Galway Races are to be found 11 individual Hartys, four of whom George, Henry, John H and John P rode winners of either the Plate or the Hurdle. Nowadays they tend to be in the training ranks and while Miss Sabrina has yet to augment the famous quartet she is likely to make a name for herself in the years to come. In the meantime she can join the supporting caste on Galway Hurdle day through the medium of Cooper’s Crest. . . ‘
Unfortunately, Cooper’s Crest was narrowly beaten by Persian Gayle, yet another winner for the currently unstoppable Niall ‘Slippers’ Madden.
Nevertheless, Tony Sweeney’s pre-race observation concerning the 11 Hartys to have participated at Ballybrit invited investigation While Francis Hyland’s history was to hand, that ‘supplementary index’ was not. For his own reasons the publisher had deliberately omitted any index in the book itself. Experience had suggested to him that potential book buyers are prone to peruse the index, read the entries that interest them and then decline to purchase. He has a point, but a potential reference book that has no index is virtually useless to anyone desirous of using it as a research tool.
Francis Hyland compensated in part by including tables of Galway’s longest-running feature races. They duly revealed that Michael J. Harty - Sabrina’s great-grandfather - opened his Galway account back in 1894 when riding his own Alice H to win the Galway Blazers’ Chase, compensation for finishing second on Specs, favourite for the Galway Plate. ‘Boss’ Harty went on to saddle winners in Ballybrit in 1899 and 1904, when Old Tim carried his wife’s colours to victory. He closed his Galway account with Catchim in 1920.
George, his son, made amends for that Plate near miss, successful as an amateur on George B in 1913 and then as a professional on Hill Of Camas in 1915. Henry, another son, came within a head of winning the 1911 Plate on The Miner, going one better in the 1918 Galway Hurdle on Maroc. Twelve months later Henry endured the frustration of being pipped in both the Plate and the Hurdle. John Hubert Harty, another brother, put his name on the Galway Hurdle in 1927 on Southern Prince, only to meet his end in a Curragh flat race two years later.
The third generation continued the Ballybrit association when Henry’s son and namesake finished second in the 1939 Galway Hurdle, riding Mount Brown to win the Galway Blazers’ Chase the following year. Captain C.B. Harty - brother of George and Henry senior - saddled the odds-on Knight Of Venosas to win the 1942 Ballybrit Chase, ridden by future phenomenon Martin Molony. Ten years later it was the turn of C.B. Harty’s son and namesake ‘Buster’ Harty to land the Moyode Plate on Consultation, trained by his father. ‘Buster’ lifted the same race in 1954 on Rocking.
Eddie Harty swelled the family’s successful total to 8 when riding Baskerville to victory for his father in 1964, while his amateur brother John made it 9 when successful on Hemoglobin in 1965. John had a much harder task in 1966 when suffering exhaustion from his efforts in getting the heavily-backed Hal’s Park home in the Moyode Plate, in the (mistaken) belief that Buster needed to land that gamble in order to forsake his bachelor status.
Recovering from his exertions, John went on to win the 1972 Galway Plate on Persian Lark, albeit twice runner-up in the Hurdle. Like his uncle Henry, John was foiled in both the feature races in 1974.
However, John’s nine Galway winners made him numerically the most successful of his clan round Ballybrit. As a trainer Eddie fared best, successful with eight runners in Galway, notably with Smartside and Writer’s Quay, both winners of the valuable Northern Telecom Chase at the autumn meeting.
The fourth generation of Hartys to try its luck round the swooping contours of Ballybrit comprises Edward and Sabrina.
Thwarted in his attempt to ride a winner there, Edward has made amends as a trainer with Bixarre and Eight Up. As for Sabrina, she must surely fulfil Tony Sweeney’s prediction before long.