The Harrisons love it round Ballybrit

It was a family affair as Mireya got up in the shadow of the post to win at Galway for trainer/owner Cathy Harrison and her jockey daughter Kate Harrison.

Rory O’Moore looked to have poached the race from the front as he was clear on the uphill finish, however, Mireya was responding to Harrison’s urgings and put in a power-packed finish to get up and win by a neck at 6/1. The runner-up was 9/2. Undoubtedly there would have been carnage on the betting exchanges. Golden Plan was five lengths further back in third at 16/1. He was a length and a quarter in front of 7/4 favourite and top-weight Marchese Marconi who couldn’t get to the front rank in the home straight.

The trainer’s husband Mike Harrison said: “That’s fantastic! That’s twice she has won here. She’ll go back over hurdles now, maybe for a novice hurdle. We’re getting great mileage out of her and she’s very honest.”

Career Move won this race in 2008 for Cathy Harrison at 33/1.

Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes