Clonard Street passes Prologue in Galway© Photo Healy Racing
Veteran campaigner Prince Rudi landed the biggest prize of his career with a gutsy success in the feature Ladbrokes Handicap Hurdle at the Galway Festival.
Reverting to the smaller obstacles after a couple of good performances over fences, the Stephen Nolan-trained 12-year-old (20-1) was always in a prominent position in the hands of Ian McCarthy.
He challenged long-time leader Flatfoot Bogie at the final flight, but there were a host of challengers stacking up in behind and Prince Rudi had to pull out all the stops to hold off the rushing Shanpallas by half a length.
The betting suggested Marchese Marconi was a good thing in the other jumps race, the Ladbrokes Mobile Maiden Hurdle, and so it proved as Aidan O'Brien's 4-11 favourite brushed aside Marty's Magic after the second-last to win as he pleased by 14 lengths under Robbie Power.
The day would have seemed incomplete without a winner from the Dermot Weld yard and it came via 2-5 favourite Silwana in the Ladbrokes Red Day EBF Fillies Maiden, making it eight for the week for Rosewell House.
Pat Smullen sent the Aga Khan's filly to the front coming off the final bend and she soon asserted before holding the staying-on Cailini Alainn by two lengths.
Johnny Murtagh hit the target in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Nursery when Yulong Xiongba (9-2) made the most of his initial handicap mark to win readily in the hands of Ross Coakley, grabbing the favourite Intense Style close home to score by a head.
John McConnell sprung a surprise in the 'This Is The Ladbrokes Life' EBF Maiden when his 22-1 newcomer Clonard Street showed a willing attitude to cut down Prologue deep inside the final furlong under Gary Carroll, winning by half a length.< Whodoyouthink tried to make all in the Ladbrokes 'Summer Of Sports' Handicap and had everything beaten at the final bend except Chris Hayes on Denis Hogan's Winter Lion (8-1), who went past and then held the former's rally by three-quarters of a length.
