Joseph O'Brien has enjoyed a superb Galway Festival and the 7lb claimer picked up one of the week's big prizes when Rajik took the feature race on day five, the Guinness Handicap.
Riding his fourth winner of the meeting, the son of Ballydoyle handler Aidan was still some way behind the leaders on Charlie Swan's 14-1 shot - second in the race last year - as they headed for the home turn.
But he is riding with terrific confidence and once he got Rajik into the clear in the short straight, the five-year-old flew past Scandal Sheet and favourite Natural High to win going away by a length and three-quarters.
O'Brien went close to another when Battleoftrafalgar led for most of the way in the Galway Publican's EBF Maiden, but he was edged out close home by Pat Smullen on a record-equalling 10th winner for Dermot Weld, Raffaello Santi (9-4 favourite).< When Not Iff stepped up on the promise of her debut second at Roscommon to take the Guinness 17:59 EBF Auction Maiden for Kevin Prendergast.
Declan McDonogh took the race by the scruff of the neck two furlongs out on the 5-2 favourite, bursting clear, and she had no trouble holding newcomer Manacor by five lengths.
Niall Madden's Wins Now (20-1) captured another prize for Galway Plate-winning owner JP McManus when coming out on top in a thrilling finish to the Guinness Galway Blazers Handicap Chase.
Favourite Truckers Delight made a valiant attempt to carry top weight to victory, but he was nailed in the last 50 yards by both Wins Now and King Ali with the former edging home by a head under 'Slippers' Madden.
The Charles Byrnes-trained Kalellshan (11-4 favourite) made it a double at the meeting when he led all the way under James Carroll to take the Guinness (QR) Handicap Hurdle by a comfortable three and a half lengths, following up his victory on Monday.
