DUNUM gained ample compensation after going close earlier in the week when landing the €110,000 Irish Stallion Farms EBF ‘Ahonoora’ Handicap on the final day of the Festival at Ballybrit.

The progressive five-year-old gelding is trained near Craigavon by Natalia Lupini for Maurice Burns and Michael McCartan, and this was his sixth win in the space of just over a year having finished a close third in the Colm Quinn BMW Mile here on the Tuesday.

Billy Lee soon got him into a good position from a wide draw and the well-backed 10/3 favourite asserted off the home bend before holding on well up the hill to beat Snapraeterea by two lengths.

“I thought it was going to be a big ask from stall 17 in a competitive handicap but I got across nicely and he got me into a good position.

“I never really had any worries from there on,” said Lee before adding, “He gets a mile well and I just thought they didn’t go quick enough for him the other day and he was a bit keen.

“He’s a fierce uncomplicated horse and just wants a nice gallop in front of him.

“I’d never ridden him in a race but had ridden plenty of work on him. He doesn’t do a whole lot when he gets there but I heard plenty of shouting in behind and I knew there was plenty getting boxed in so I said I’d commit and try and take a couple of lengths out of them. He loved the (soft) ground and galloped all the way to the line.”

Leading jockey

Dylan Browne McMonagle confirmed his position as the leading flat jockey at the Festival when partnering his fifth winner of the week aboard the Teme Valley-owned Stromberg in the Kinlay Hostel Irish EBF Auction Series Maiden.

Those who backed the long odds-on shot may have briefly had a few worries as the Joseph O’Brien-trained colt was pushed along entering the straight but the 1/5 favourite soon took control to ultimately score by an impressive 10 lengths.

“It was a very messy race and I jumped a tad slow but I knew my lad would pick up good and I loved the way he galloped through the line,” said winning jockey Dylan Browne McMonagle.

Top marks to Teed Up

TEED Up continued his love affair with Galway and became the only horse to win twice at this year’s Festival when repeating last year’s win in the Adare Manor Opportunity Handicap Hurdle.

The six-year-old gelding, who landed the Connacht Hotel (Q.R.) Handicap here on Monday and went close to taking another feature when only beaten a head by Brazil in the Guinness Handicap on Friday, was sent off the 4/6 favourite and got well on top for Conor Clarke on the run-in to beat Gold Speed by three and a half lengths.

“He has a serious appetite for racing and is an unbelievable horse to have in the yard.

“He loves it here and as soon as he meets the rising ground, he grows another leg,” said trainer Emmet Mullins.

“I’d imagine he’s earned a little break now and we can start planning for next year. It’s a special place for the Mees.”

Mullins later doubled up when Malbay Madness, narrowly denied here on Wednesday, swooped late under Colin Keane to beat Emorcee by a length in the mile Ireland West Airport Knock Handicap.

The 6/5 favourite is owned jointly by the trainer and Paul Byrne, and the champion jockey commented: “I thought the one in front had got away on us but they went hard enough and my lad relaxed well, maybe a fraction too well. I’d say he’s a horse that could go a bit further.”

Third winner

Ray Barron, who partnered Teed Up to win the big Monday evening feature, recorded his third winner of the week when making virtually all aboard My Design in the Kenny Galway Handicap Hurdle.

The eight-year-old mare received a strong drive in the closing stages to hold off Call The Tune by half-a-length and Barron picked up an 11-day suspension for his use of the whip.

“Ray’s 7lb made a difference and she’s tough. Ray built a bond with her quickly and he used her jumping. She’s not the simplest of jumpers but she found and she delivered for him,” said trainer Declan Queally of the 14/1 winner.

“I was disappointed that we didn’t get into the big handicap yesterday as she would have had 10st 4lb and I didn’t like the idea of carrying top-weight around here but we said we’d take our chance.

“They tried to cover her earlier in the year and she didn’t go in foal. We’ll try and get some winning blacktype with her.”

WILLIE Mullins was crowned leading trainer at the Galway Festival for the eighth successive year and brought his tally for the week to 10 winners with a double via the odds-on pair Saint Sam and You Oughta Know.

The Edward Ware-owned Saint Sam (4/7) dominated the Eileen Kelly Memorial Chase and despite racing keenly throughout under Paul Townend, galloped on strongly to score by an easy 13 lengths from Born By The Sea.

“Paul never got a chance to settle him, he just galloped and jumped the two mile and six,” said the Closutton trainer.

“I thought that was way better than anything he has shown. He’s given himself a very hard race but it’s the way he likes to race. I think we’ll be looking at conditions’ races for him but the Kerry National is worth a lot of money so we’ll think about it and he may be entered.”

You Oughta Know justified 4/9 favouritism in the Fr. Breen Memorial (Pro/Am) Flat Race, driven out by Patrick Mullins inside the final furlong to beat promising newcomer Tote Too by two lengths.

Good performance

“It was a good performance giving the second horse a stone (including rider’s claim). Patrick felt the ground was fast enough for him so we might put him by now before going jumping,” said Mullins of the Luke McMahon-owned gelding.

Gavin Brouder partnered his first winner at the Galway Festival and also his first in the colours of J.P. McManus when Fighting Fit recorded a 33/1 shock in the two miles and two furlongs Lord Hemphill Memorial Handicap Chase.

The Philip Dempsey-trained gelding made good headway on the inner after the last and kept on gamely inside the final furlong to get the better of Barnacullia by half-a-length, the pair drawing 15 lengths clear of the remainder.

Niggly problems

Dempsey said: “Last year just didn’t go right, he had niggly problems the whole time and he never got a proper run at it.

“He had a little break after Punchestown and we kept him going because of his hiccup last season. It’s great to have him back in good order.

“He could go to Listowel and it looks like he’ll probably get further judged on that. He didn’t travel early and lost his position a bit but his jumping was very good and kept him in it.”

There was a very sad postscript when 10-time winner Sole Pretender suffered a fatal injury on the run-in.

Rider Robbie Geoghegan, who felt his mount was not moving correctly but was unaware of the seriousness of the injury, was given a 50-day ban. by the stewards for failing to pull up and dismount as soon as reasonably possible.

Attendance: 2023: 14,129 2022: 13,240

Bookmakers: 2023: €538,280 2022: €606,212

Tote: 2023: €504,932 2022: €490,109

Overall Attendance: 2023: 122,362 2022: 116,720

Bookmakers: 2023: €6,366,312 2022: €6,220,563

Tote: 2023: €4,921,364 2022: €5,086,256