The e50,000 Dawn Milk Handicap Hurdle was the feature race at Ballybrit on Saturday, and Edward O'Grady got off the mark for the meeting when sending out Vatirisk to score under Barry Geraghty.
The five-year-old grey gelding headed Strong Project approaching the final flight, and kept on strongly up the hill for a comfortable three and a half lengths victory. 'It just goes to show how much difference the ground makes as he was disappointing here on Monday evening in the GPT Handicap. He got the trip (two and three quarter miles) well, and the plan is to go chasing soon,' said O'Grady.
Feabhas became the first horse to win twice at the Festival when following up her Tuesday maiden win by defying a 5lb penalty in the EBF Premier Nursery. The Spectrum filly dug deep under Kevin Manning in the straight to overhaul Lady's Mantle for a neck verdict.
Paul Carberry cemented his position as leading jockey here this week by partnering his fourth Festival winner when Snob Wells made a successful chasing debut in the Jockeys Association Beginners Chase. Noel Meade's charge put in a fine round of jumping, landing in front after two out before effortlessly drawing clear to beat Northern Fancy by five lengths.
'That was very good for his first run over fences. He likes good ground, so we will keep him going until the autumn and then give him a break over the winter,' said Meade.
Shock results have been a feature of the week, and the Low Low Galway Blazers Handicap Chase served up another reverse for punters when Right'N'Royal scored under Gary Hutchinson. The 16/1 chance (paid e110.20 for a win on the Tote) stayed on best on the long run-in to beat Monks Error by seven lengths.
By contrast, The Great Gatsby was backed from evens to 6/4 on in the juvenile maiden, and Seamus Heffernan always had the Sadler's Wells colt up with the pace before asserting in the closing stages to beat Akash by three and a half lengths.
Alan Magee
