The feature race on the opening night of the 2024 Galway Races produced a shock winner when 50/1 shot Sirius came from last to first to win the Connacht Hotels QR Handicap under owner-rider David Dunsdon.

One of four Willie Mullins-trained runners in the two-mile race, Sirius was sourced in France in late 2022 from the yard of Nicolas Clement with the specific aim of giving Dunsdon a ride in this race.

Injury ruled the daughter of Ectot out of Galway last year and she finally made her Irish debut at the Curragh last month when 15th of 17 in a two-mile handicap at the Curragh.

Dunsdon, a chartered surveyor in Britain, won the Fegentri amatuer series in 2002 but only returned to the saddle in 2022 following a four-year break and had not ridden a winner in five years.

The 42-year-old had planned to race prominently on Sirius but found himself at the back of the field and decided to take his time. Still last with a few furlongs to race, Dunsdon began passing rivals entering the final bend and, swinging wide into the straight, he and his mare flew up the famous hill and won, going away, by three and a half lengths.

The front-running Baltic Bird (25/1) finished second, Spasiba (8/1) was third and the veteran Lord Erskine was fourth.

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