Merrion springs shock in festival finale

Merrion Row sprang a 20/1 shock in the Galway festival finale when lunging late to land the Fr. Breen Memorial bumper. Devils Bride was sent off 6/5 favourite for the two-mile event and looked set to collect as he was asked for an effort entering the straight.

The Willie Mullins-trained gelding was swamped in the closing stages however and actually dropped to fourth close home.

Mikey Fogarty got a good tune from the Philip Rothwell-trained debutant Merrion Row in the straight as a trio of horses finished well.

The outsider got up close home for a half-length success over Grecian Tiger with a head back to Some Officer and a further neck to Devils Bride.

“He's a good horse and I've been nervous about this all week,” said Rothwell afterwards.

“I brought him to the Curragh three weeks ago to work him away from home for the first time because the ground was so fast at home. I brought him back last week and he went well.

“I didn't want to run in a 20-runner bumper first time out and get knocked about. He should make a nice chaser in the future.

“Most of all I could not have more supportive owners than Oliver Barden and his family. Without them this wouldn't be possible.”

(Additional reporting by Alan Magee)