SAN AER was confidently ridden by Billy Lee to repeat last year’s win in the KONE Handicap, in front of a large crowd, mostly made up of students, at Galway on Monday afternoon.

Settled in mid-division, the 3/1 joint-favourite was travelling well in fourth entering the straight and came through between horses inside the final furlong to beat the 2021 winner Big Island by three and a quarter lengths.

Tom Mullins, who trains the winner for Rory Larkin, said: “I was nervous for a moment, but he said if he had to pull him up to go wide, it would have sickened the horse so he kept chancing the inside. He got a good ride, loves that ground and it couldn’t be heavy enough for him.”

The www.swordsecurity.com Nursery was won by 20/1 chance I’ve Been Dreaming under Ronan Whelan.

Trained by Mark Fahey for the Mooncoin-based Trouble & Strife Syndicate, the Belardo colt had shown little in maidens but was a different proposition on handicap debut. Switched off the rail to challenge in the straight, the winner led over 50 yards out to beat fellow outsider Victor’s Choice by half a length.

Fahey said: “He did it well, we had a great draw and Ronan said he’d take the gaps when they were there. He surprised me as he is a huge big raw horse. We’ll put him away now and look forward to the spring.”

Rapid City (5/1) was too good for his younger rivals in the Corrib Food Products Maiden and stretched clear in the straight to win in good style for Luke Comer and Chris Hayes.

The War Command four-year-old raced close to the pace and went past front-running Hokusai over a furlong out to beat that rival by three and three quarter lengths.

Assistant trainer Jim Gorman said: “In fairness to Chris he called it after Gowran and said seven furlongs here should suit him. He handled the ground and handled the track and was very good.”

TIM Doyle and Wayne Hassett teamed up for another winner, when Kinda Tiny came from well off the pace to win the Barna Recycling Handicap.

The 5/1 co-favourite got a dream run through when switched to the inner a furlong out, but drifted left when hitting the front and caused interference to several rivals.

Kinda Tiny, owned by the trainer’s wife, Claire, was three quarters of a length in front of Clear Quartz passing the post and kept the race following a stewards’ inquiry, but Hassett picked up an eight-day ban for careless riding.

“She has been placed and had been running well, but was unlucky a few days,” said the winning trainer. “She was probably a bit green and was never in front before, but is a smashing little filly. Dinky Inty was her mother, who won around here, and if you mix up those letters you more-or-less get ‘Kinda Tiny’. She also seems to handle this track, so we’ll aim for back here next summer.”

Everlasting

The Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden went to Everlasting (9/2) who made all the running under Seamie Heffernan.

The daughter of Kingman, trained by Aidan O’Brien for the Coolmore partners, had finished in mid-division on debut earlier in the month and put that experience to good use to come home a length and three quarters in front of Kisiyra.

Stable representative Chris Armstrong said: “Seamus gave her a lovely ride, she jumped and controlled it from the front. She will be a lovely filly for next year over 10 and 12 furlongs. Running downhill on heavy ground around here will definitely stand to her and she is one to look forward to.”

Immutable gave weight and a beating to eight older rivals in the Galway Handicap. The 11/4 chance, under top weight of 10st, tracked the leaders before hitting the front in the straight for a length victory over Narlita.

It was a third win for the Gerard Kervick-owned son of Muhaarar, who was ridden by Gary Carroll for trainer Joe Murphy.

“He is progressive and is a horse we like to have,” said Murphy. “We think he is going to go forward and he’ll go three-year-old hurdling now.”