Ansar cemented his place as a Ballybrit legend by landing the featured Hewlett-Packard Galway Plate for the second successive year, adding to his Galway Hurdle triumph of 2001.
Carrying top-weight of 12st, the nine-year-old gelding was always traveling well close to the pace on the inner and Denis O'Regan sent him to the front after the last.
The son of Kahyasi soon settled the issue on the long run-in, drawing clear to beat Ursumman by seven lengths with Light On The Broom holding every chance a further 3/4L back in third.
Dermot Weld, who has now won the Festival highlight four times, said, 'I was concerned that he wouldn't carry the weight but he got a lovely ride from Denis.'
'He's a super leaper and has a tremendous spring to him. He's in the Galway Hurdle tomorrow but is unlikely to run, although I will have to speak to the owners first.'
'That's his seventh win here from just eight or nine runs, and the Nakayama Grand Jump in Japan next spring is a possibility. He would love the fast ground over there,' added Weld.
O'Regan, 23, travels out to Australia on Friday along with Tom Ryan, Andrew McNamara and Bobbie Molloy to represent Ireland in the annual jump jockeys challenge.
Weld added to his haul when Navajo Chieftain ran out a convincing winner of the amateur riders maiden, and the Rosewell House maestro was full of praise for jockey Nina Carberry afterwards.
'I know it may sound strange but she won it in the first furlong where she fought for her position. She did exactly what I told her to do, and is a really top amateur.'
He added, 'This is a grand, big improving type who loves fast ground and could make a nice National Hunt horse in time.'
Weld was denied a treble in the mile maiden when 4/6 favourite Bawader was touched off in the final strides by the Pat Shanahan-ridden The Carbon Unit.
Valdir Rodrigo De Souza brought an international flavour to the Festival by successfully partnering second reserve Peculiar Prince in the 50-80 rated mile handicap for 3yo's.
The 32 year old Brazilian has ridden 360 winners in his native country but this was his first from just five rides since joining trainer Liam McAteer earlier this year.
'We only got word this morning that the horse was going to get in and Valdir didn't have time to loose some weight (put up 3lb overweight). He didn't even get a chance to walk the track,' said McAteer.
Michael O'Brien is already looking towards the Listowel Festival in September with Young Elodie who led between the final two flights for Tom Ryan to beat Ease The Way by two lengths in the winners hurdle.
'The only question mark was whether the ground would be too quick, and Michael plans to aim him at the Lartigue 4YO Hurdle and try to pick up a Flat race in between,' said O'Brien's assistant Denis Cullen.
French import P'tit Fute benefited from a patient ride by Kevin Coleman to land the 2m4f handicap hurdle, jumping past the front-running Dow Jones at the last before going on to beat Ryanally by 3 1/2L.
'He ran eight times in France and never did much, and was very keen when he came to us about four months ago. He was that nervous that you couldn't even put a saddle on him,' said trainer Francis Flood.
The jackpot pool of 66,574 is rolled over to tomorrow mainly due to the shock win of High Diving (25/1 but paid over 72/1 on the Tote) in the mile and a half handicap.
Billy Lee's mount readily stretched clear in the straight for an impressive six lengths verdict over Fayr Star but trainer Ger Lynch is not sure whether the gelding will run again here tomorrow.
'Possibly not but I will wait to see how he is in the morning. He's had a lot of problems, too many to mention, and has a nice low rating over hurdles,' said the locally based Craughwell trainer.
Heemanela may run in the Galway Hurdle tomorrow after quickening up nicely for Declan McDonogh to beat Shaykhan by two lengths in the 50-70 rated mile handicap.
The attendance figure was up for the third successive day at 28,037 (400 more than last year), while the Tote aggregate was also slightly ahead of 2004 at 1,535,355.
Betting in the ring was equally heated with a turnover of just over three million, a record for Plate day, and up nearly half a million on last year.
Alan Magee
