Leigh Roche (red and yellow) gets Zhukova home from Almela (Pat Smullen) at Galway© Photo Healy Racing
Dermot Weld completed a 181/1 Galway treble when Zhukova (7/1) led home a one, two for the Rosewell House team, in the featured Listed Ardilaun Hotel Oyster Stakes at Galway.
The earlier Weld winners, Ebediyin and Simannka were for the Aga Khan, and stable jockey Pat Smullen went off at even money in the night's centre-piece, in the famous green and red, aboard Almela
She had every chance up the straight in what was a titanic struggle with Zhukova (Galway rider Leigh Roche up), but she eventually came off worst by a head.
Another Aga Khan runner, Ebayya powered home for third, a length and a half off them.
"They are two very nice fillies and they battled it out very well," commented Weld.
"The winner ran a super race in Cork, when she was a close fourth to her stable companion, Zannda, in a Group race, and I didn't think there would be much between them today.
"The second filly is still very immature and she will also make into a lovely filly as the year progresses. Experience won, it's as simple as that.
"There was very little between them working the other morning, and they ran pretty much to the way they worked. Maybe the second filly worked a shade better the other morning and so Pat went for her.
"The winner will have one more run this year at Group level. The second filly will come back to run in the new mile and a half Listed race at Naas at the next meeting there.
"I would say both of them will stay in training next year."
F.M. Berry, rider of Dark Crusader trained by A.J.Martin, reported to the Stewards' Secretaries that his mount clipped the running rail momentarily approximately six and a half furlongs from home.
(DM & EM)
