Curley Bill (centre) ended up beating Bayan (right) by a head at Galway© Photo Healy Racing
Noel Meade lifted the main prize on the fifth day of the Galway Festival when Curley Bill just lasted home in the testing conditions to take the Guinness Handicap.
Fran Berry was in no hurry on the five-year-old, a maiden hurdler coming off two very good runs on the level, and did not launch his attack until coming round the outside on the bend into the straight.
Curley Bill (9-2) overhauled the favourite Show Court deep inside the final furlong and in an exciting finish, was all out to hold Bayan s late charge by a head.
The result completed a double for Berry after his victory in the JP McManus colours on David Wachman's juvenile Hidden Oasis (4-1), who ran away with the Guinness 17:59 EBF Median Auction Maiden, storming 10 lengths clear.
Berry looked on his way to another in the famous silks when Snakes And Ladders coasted to the front in the Arthur Guinness Handicap, but he was soon treading water and was swamped in the last 50 yards as Wayne Lordan won by a head on Tony Martin's Woodsophiesmile (4-1).
It was McManus again in the Guinness Galway Blazers Handicap Chase when the Mouse Morris-trained Bruff (5-1 joint-favourite) easily led home a one-two for the owner in the hands of Niall Madden, beating Ballyburke by six lengths.
Dermot Weld made it nine winners at the meeting when his high-class mare Unaccompanied (8-15 favourite) showed tremendous guts to peg back Fleur De Nuit late on in the Guinness Race, grabbing the prize by a length in the hands of Pat Smullen.< Agreement showed he acted on heavy ground when second at Tipperary last time and the 4-5 favourite put up a stout staying performance to land the Guinness EBF Maiden for the Aidan O'Brien team, responding well to pressure from Joseph O'Brien to score by five lengths.
