IMPRESSIVE Galen (4/9 favourite) registered back-to-back wide-margin wins at Killarney on Monday as the colt landed the mile Irish Stallion Farms EBF Race by 11 lengths, to provide his trainer Joseph O’Brien and jockey Dylan Browne McMonagle with doubles.

Runner-up to Derby hero City Of Troy on their respective Curragh debuts last July, Galen today followed up a nine-length maiden win at that course last month when easily beating 94-rated runner-up Beechwood.

O’Brien wasn’t present and his representative Sean Corby reported: “Galen was impressive and he stretched right out to the line. They went a good even gallop and he picked up.

“Dylan was very happy with him, said he was still babyish in front and said that he will be better in a better race with a lead. He looked pretty good.

“His win at the Curragh the last day was on slower ground but Dylan thinks he loves the quick ground so going forward that will be key for him. A mile seems to be suiting him for now.”

O’Brien double

Team O’Brien also won the opening Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden with owners MacLennan/Shanahan/Magnier’s Apples And Bananas (11/4). The two-year-old colt , who benefitted from a recent Curragh debut, beat runner-up Puppet Master by a length and three quarters.

Corby commented: “He was pretty professional, it was straightforward and he got to the line strong. Dylan was keen to make use of the experience and he was able to jump smart.

“If you are getting that close in a Curragh maiden (finishing sixth on debut), you are a decent horse and Dylan said he was still green in front and was having a look around. He thinks there is more improvement to come and said it was proper quick ground today.”

AIDAN O’Brien won both the other maidens on the card, beginning with the Declan McDonogh-partnered, Coolmore-owned Mother Nature (4/7 favourite) in the Gap Of Dunloe Fillies Maiden.

O’Brien’s representative Chris Armstrong commented: “Obviously her form was in the book, it was good to get the winning bracket and Declan gave her a nice ride. Apart from (running wide off) the top bend, she is starting to put it all together and that ground is perfect for her, although she will handle it a fraction easier.

“From here we’ll look to the Give Thanks Stakes at Cork, which should suit her perfectly and hope to get blacktype. She is a nice filly to have for the backend.

“Her pedigree is unbelievable, she is by Justify who is an unbelievably exciting stallion, so has the sire and the dam (by Galileo). It is now a case of making the pedigree even better with a blacktype win.”

Jockey Mark Crehan was seen to good effect when steering the champion trainer’s second winner, as he gave Emphasis (7/1) a front-running ride, when landing the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Median Auction Maiden.

The Magna Grecia colt ran wide off an early bend and afterwards Armstrong praised the winning ride, saying: “In fairness, Mark gave him a very positive ride and the horse has improved from the couple of runs he has had. We felt the quick ground and the track would suit him well and we will see what mark he gets now and aim for a staying handicap.

“It is a tricky track and the two horses (winner and Sundance Sioux) were green enough early on and a lot of ours wouldn’t have been around a bend as sharp as here.” ?

Avatar jets to memorable win for Carrolls

AVATAR Jet (3/1 joint-favourite) provided ex-jockey Tim Carroll with a memorable first winner as an owner in the Lakes Of Killarney Handicap, as his brother Gary Carroll steered the Mark Fahey-trained gelding to a length-and-a-quarter win over Copie Conforme.

Owner Carroll said: “I’m absolutely delighted, I love this horse and bought him a year ago with one of the stalls handlers Eoin Charlton.

“We were worried about the ground but he obviously flew on it and I think he’ll improve a lot. Gary said he ended up getting to the front too soon but said he had to take the gap.”

He added: “This is a great buzz and Mark has done a great job. He is a shrewd trainer and was the one who kept telling me to step him up in trip. I ride him out myself, we’ve had great fun with him and are looking at Galway next.

“It is a while since I got a kick like this.”

Expert win

Father and son, trainer and jockey Andy and Andrew Slattery combined to win the Tor Mountain Handicap with Independent Expert (12/1), for owner and farrier Mick Walsh.

The Gutaifan-filly arrived from mid-field to lead close home, beating Physique by a half-length and subsequently Slattery senior revealed: “I ran five horses in Gowran the last day; she ran and they all ran worse than the other, but the ground was terrible and sticky.

“She likes soft ground but couldn’t go on it that day and now three of those horses have won since, so it was just one of those things.

“I gave her a break, she is fit and well now and tomorrow morning I’ll enter her in a Galway Festival handicap on the Tuesday.

“If she gets in, we’ll take our chance and if you’re not in, you can’t win.”

Law jumps to it

The concluding Ross Castle Handicap was won by future-jumper Best Law, for trainer Ger Lyons, owners Gaelic Thoroughbreds and champion jockey Colin Keane.

The three-year-old scored readily by two lengths from Our Lil with the trainer’s brother and assistant Shane Lyons later reporting: “We were a little worried about the ground but that was nicely done. The ground is proper good to firm summer ground but has a lovely cushion of grass so is safe enough for him to run.

“It is great to get a winner for Gaelic Bloodstock which is fronted by Philip Burns in Scotland and fair play to them for being patient with this horse.

“Hopefully there is a couple of more races for him before he goes jumping.

“He is a fine big horse and jumping will be his game.”