IT just wouldn’t be a Galway fixture without a winner in the Mee colours and Dumhach Thra delivered for the owners at their beloved Ballybrit in the 80-109 rated angloprinters.ie Handicap Hurdle over two miles.

This was a first win over hurdles for the Milan gelding who faced an impossible task at the Summer Festival when chasing home the potentially high-class Ilikedwayurthinkin in a handicap on the final day of the meeting. There was nothing of that one’s calibre lying in wait which allowed the Annette Mee-owned 9/4 favourite to defeat Sizing Malbay by just under four lengths. The winner was trained by Margaret Mullins and ridden by her son Danny.

The useful Charlie Stout (4/1) deservedly got his turn over fences as he denied Stormey and the treble-chasing Sean O’Keeffe in the Tote-sponsored beginners chase. After reaching the frame behind Zero Ten and Movewiththetimes on his last two starts, the Shane Nolan-trained gelding produced a thoroughly determined effort under Eamonn Corbett to get on top in the closing stages of this extended two-mile event. This was a fourth career success for the Barry Potts-owned eight-year-old.

The winning jockey was referred on the I.H.R.B as a result of having had three previous whip rule breaches since the new regulations came into effect.

A welcome change of fortune awaited Fran Flood in the 0-109 rated Kenny Developments Handicap Chase where Wake Up Early (13/2) gave the trainer his first success since January 2018.

On his handicap chase debut and his first outing since March, the lightly raced six-year-old began to make good progress through the field for Darragh O’Keeffe before the second last. Deep inside the final furlong, the J.P. McManus-owned gelding got on top to carry the day by half a length from He Rock’s, whose jockey Chris Timmons received a three-day whip ban. The winner could easily progress on this form even allowing for the fact that this wasn’t the strongest of races.

THE first claiming hurdle to be run in Ireland for 23 years achieved just the sort of reaction hoped for with the winner, the Gordon Elliott-trained Falak (7/2), and the fourth-placed Solar Heat both changing hands afterwards. The 123-rated Falak had struggled for form lately and was beaten in a selling hurdle at Stratford earlier this month, but he showed signs of a return to form by making most of the running for Denis O’Regan and defeating My Manekineko by two and three-quarter lengths. John McConnell later picked up the Brendan Scully-owned winner for €7,000, while the 10-year-old Solar Heat joined Denis Hogan for €4,000.

Falak was purchased for €7,000 by John McConnell after winning the Its Our 150th Birthday Claiming Race with Denis O'Regan \ Healy Racing

The evening concluded with a nice display from the Andy Oliver newcomer Presenting Meghan in the Weatherbys GSB EBF Mares INH Flat Race. Richie Deegan was on board the sister of Competitive Edge who found herself in front well before the straight and showed a good attitude to finish two and a quarter lengths ahead of Lady Of Elysium. The 5/1 chance is owned by Jason Trotter and William Hogg.