From left to right: Owner John Joe McGrath, Stephen Mahon, Donagh Meyler and Afatcat© Photo Healy Racing
Afatcat landed a touch as he ran out a comfortable winner of the Galway City & Salthill Publicans Handicap Hurdle.
Placed on his last three starts the Stephen Mahon trained seven-year-old was available at 10/1 last night, opening on-course at 7's before going off the 11/2 joint-favourite under Donagh Meyler.
Settled in rear the son of Araafa made progress from three out and came with his challenge on the outer as they approached the last.
He was ridden to the front on the run-in and kept on well to win by three and three parts of a length in the colours of John Joe McGrath. Myles Ahead (16/1 this morning and from 10's to 8's on-course) finished second under Bryan Cooper for Anthony Mulholland after he attempted to make all. Killiney Court was the other joint-favourite and he was a further three parts of a length back in third under Mikey Fogarty for Colm Murphy.
Stephen Mahon said afterwards: "The summer has been frustrating for him but it's nobody's fault it rains! It's hard to predict and Paul Townend said he'd have won his last three if he had his ground.
"It was more his ground today and Donagh gave him a cool ride, and almost too cool in fact, as I thought he had overdone it coming down the hill.
"He's a chaser and would be well suited to a flat track like Liverpool, over two miles."
Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes
