Mick Kinane stole the show on the rain-affected card at Galway when winning the Ardilaun Hotel Oyster Stakes aboard Aliyfa

The final two races on the card were abandoned due to waterlogging, but Kinane still emerged the headline act.< Allied Powers Michael Bell's even-money favourite, appeared to have the race in safe-keeping after Declan McDonogh went for broke approaching the two-furlong marker.

But Allied Powers suddenly became leg-weary in the Galway bog and was easily usurped by the patient mastery of Kinane.

John Oxx's charge timed her run to perfection to yield a tidy victory over The Bull Hayes who rallied gamely inside the distance.

Oxx's assistant, Jimmy 'Slim' O'Neill, said: "The one thing she has is heart, and she deserves to win a Listed race

"She's ran her guts out twice when doing pacemaker so I'm delighted for her.

"She obviously goes on soft, but I don't know what you would call it (the Galway ground) that."

Jockey Pat Smullen expressed surprise after Sansibar opened his account at the first time of asking in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden.

Dermot Weld's newcomer stormed into the lead one furlong from home and had a cosy three lengths in reserve of Granville Bennett

Smullen said: "He did it well. He's a very nervous, lazy horse at home and I'm surprised he knew his job as well as he did.< Ufallya initiated an across-the-card double for John McConnell in the James P Cunningham Electrical Handicap.

McConnell also hit the target 20 minutes later at Downpatrick when Pagan Lightning claimed the bumper.

Puncher Clinch relished the awful conditions to win the Donnelly's Of Barna Auction Race, while Few Are Chosen repeated her success at the Galway Festival with a classy triumph in the Trappers Inn Handicap.

The Noel Meade-trained Gay Sloane won the feature race of the day at Downpatrick.

Nina Carberry's mount hacked up in the Alternate Xmas Party Race over an extended mile and a half.

Meade said: "We were worried that ground may have gone to soft for him but obviously it hadn't."