Kilbrin jockey Daniel King has written his name into Galway Festival history after completing a sensational feature race double at Ballybrit.
The 21-year-old Duhallow rider followed up his famous Galway Plate success on Wednesday by claiming the €275,000 Grade 3 Guinness Galway Hurdle aboard Putapoundinthejar, delivering the biggest week of his young career.
King first captured the headlines when partnering the Willie Mullins-trained King Alexander to victory in the Galway Plate, before returning to the winner’s enclosure the following day with the Tony Martin-trained six-year-old.
The back-to-back feature race victories mark a remarkable achievement for the Kilbrin native and underline his emergence as one of the most exciting young jockeys in Irish racing.
In the Galway Hurdle, King showed composure beyond his years, keeping Putapoundinthejar prominently positioned before making his move approaching the closing stages. The pair travelled strongly into the straight and powered clear after the final hurdle to win by three and a quarter lengths.
The victory added another memorable chapter to the story of Putapoundinthejar, who had previously provided the late Michael O’Sullivan with his final winner at Down Royal last year.
For trainer Tony Martin, the success represented a fifth Galway Hurdle victory, while for King it further cemented his reputation as a rider capable of delivering on racing’s biggest stages.
King’s rapid rise has been built through hard work and consistency since he recorded his first winner as a 16-year-old aboard Malbas for Cloughjordan trainer Denis Hogan at Dundalk.
Since then, the Kilbrin jockey has continued to make his mark across both Flat and National Hunt racing, developing strong partnerships with some of the biggest names in the sport.
Earlier this year, King achieved another major milestone when guiding Oscars Brother to victory in the Grade 2 Ten Up Novice Chase at Navan for his brother Connor King. The horse, formerly owned by the King family’s Mak King Racing Syndicate, was later purchased by leading owner JP McManus.
His Galway Festival success followed another impressive victory earlier in the week aboard Frankie John at Ballybrit, a winner trained by Denis Hogan, the man who gave King his first opportunity in the winner’s enclosure.
From the roads of Kilbrin in Duhallow to the famous Galway Festival winner’s enclosure, Daniel King’s journey continues to gather momentum.