Shanroe swoops late under Colgan in three-runner affair

Robbie Colgan executed a fine tactical ride when holding his nerve to deliver Shanroe with the final challenge to take the Rockshore Irish Lager Race at Galway.

Content to watch on from last place, as Dinard Lady made the early running, Colgan refused to be drawn into a battle when favourite Sandhurst joined that mare on the run out of the dip.

Travelling best of the trio in rear, the winning jockey showed nerves of steel before committing the Karl Thornton trained gelding halfway up the straight. He had to be brave to hold the late rally of Sandhurst under Shane Foley but had enough in reserve.

It was a fine training performance by Thornton to have the eight-year-old ready on his first start since disappointing in last years November Handicap at Naas.

After the race, Karl Thornton said; "It is grand to get that out of the way as he has had a bad six months. It was a good performance as it has been an awful year for him.

"He has been sick since running in York (last August), I've been trying to get him right and I've had to be patient. I wanted to get a run into him before going back to York and this place was ideal, with the ground.

"He just hadn't been himself and people were asking me why I hadn't ran him but I knew if we came here we'd get safe ground to get him started. He will also be entered for the Irish Cesarewitch."

Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes