Gordon Elliott landed the feature jumps race for the second day in a row and in similarly dramatic fashion after Sam Ewing drove The Wallpark through in the dying strides to land the Listed BoyleSports Handicap Hurdle.
The win came less than 24 hours after veteran Battleofdoyen's narrow victory in Friday evening's Galway Blazers, but in contrast, The Wallpark's best days could well be in front of him. The six-year-old needed every yard of the trip, rattling home from the final flight to edge out the McManus pair So Scottish and Comfort Zone in the dying strides.
Elliott, who was claiming his third win of the week and also saddled topweight Beacon Edge to be a close fourth, said: "He's very tough and he's becoming a real fun horse. I think the ground suited him well and he's a young horse on the way up.
"I'll have a chat with his owner Fran [Mangan] about where we go next. I think he'll go further and he could be a horse we'll try and qualify for the Pertemps Final at Cheltenham next year."
Baltic Bird's rider Oakley Brown was in trouble with the Stewards. He changed his equipment after weighing out and subsequently weighed in 3.1lb overweight. He was suspended for eight days.
Ebor bound
Notwithstanding the 50-1 success of Sirius in the Monday feature, it has been a somewhat frustrating week for Willie Mullins. However, one horse to lay down a marker for the coming jumps season was high-class Flat handicapper Jackfinbar, who led home a stable one-two in the opening maiden hurdle.
Ridden by Danny Mullins, the nine-year-old was keen early but his jumping was good and he showed a nice turn of foot to go to the front before the final flight. From there he was only doing enough to hold off his stable companion Hipop De Loire by a length-and-three-quarters.
The runner-up was a good Flat performer in his own right, having won a Listed race in Germany, and Mullins plans to send the pair to the Ebor Handicap this month before resuming their hurdling careers.
Jackfinbar: will be aimed at the Ebor at the end of AugustCredit: Patrick McCann
"They're two nice horses and it is just a pity that we had to run them against each other," said the champion trainer. "I wanted to get them both out and there wasn't really another opportunity.
"The winner was very keen early. Coming off the Flat and going jumping, it can take a few runs before they settle back and start to think. He had a couple of injuries and I couldn't get him out last year, and with Hipop I just decided to wait.
"I think they'll both go to the Ebor now. Absurde was beaten here last year before winning the Ebor and maybe one of these can do the same."
Lady's first
Jessica Harrington has been quietly enjoying a great week and saddled her fourth winner of the festival when Lady O dominated the nursery from start to finish under Shane Foley.
The daughter of Australia was in command all the way to the line and won by four and a half lengths from topweight favourite Elzem.
The winning It's All About The Girls syndicate have tasted success at the Galway festival in the past, including with Youcrackmeup last year, and they also won the Group 3 Ingabelle Stakes with Sparkle'N'Joy on Irish Champions Weekend in 2018. This smart juvenile could be heading in that direction too.
Lady O: winner of the 7f nursery handicap at GalwayCredit: Patrick McCann
Harrington's daughter and assistant trainer Kate, who sported a pair of green-framed sunglasses which would have made Elton John proud, said: "I thought she was well handicapped and she's run some solid races.
"She went through a bit of a growth spurt and the ground was probably a bit quick for her at Tipperary and Killarney. She'd won on soft before and she really relished the ground and the stiff uphill finish. She's going to be a middle-distance filly for next year and we just love her.
"I hope she can keep progressing for all the ladies because they get great craic out of her. We might not get our ground but hopefully we can aim towards Champions Weekend again and the Ingabelle Stakes. If not, we will definitely aim for black type before the end of the year."
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