IT’S hard for four-year-olds to win in open company over hurdles but it’s especially hard to do it in early August. It’s even more difficult when carrying 11st 5lb in the most lucrative handicap hurdle Ireland and Britain.

Perugino Diamond was the last four-year-old to win the Guinness Galway Hurdle all the way back in 2000 but he carried 9st 8lb so those on hand at Ballybrit on Thursday saw a serious performance from Zarak The Brave (9/2), who somehow found the energy reserves to fend off the challenges of the perennially unlucky Jesse Evans, second and fourth in this race in the previous two renewals, and My Mate Mozzie in third.

This was a helter skelter affair from the off with Cash Back opening a lead over the field and ensuring a solid early pace. Then, in the manner of a relay runner, Mighty Tom took it up soon after the stands and injected further heat into the battle. All the time Paul Townend was close up, sitting in third for most of the first circuit and still as close to the leader when fifth at the top of the hill.

He cruised into the race on the turn in but looked a bit of a sitting duck once Jesse Evans, a winner over two miles on the flat on his previous run, came from further back and had his revs up. But to his immense credit, the Simon Munir and Isaac Souede-owned gelding fought back and held on to win by a head.

“It really is something for a four-year-old to win this race,” Mullins reflected. “I thought he was beaten. I wasn’t too far away from Noel Meade and his horse finished second in the race last season and fourth the year before, so it’s tough on Noel.

“Paul told me afterwards that he thought he was beaten too but once he changed his whip and gave the horse a smack, he got down and galloped again. It just shows you how brave he was.

“It was a class performance. His form with Lossiemouth looks huge now and it’s all very encouraging. He got a bout of colic last year after he won his first race when he looked a really decent horse and we had to put him by for most of the season but it’s all been worthwhile now.”

It was a fifth Galway Hurdle for Mullins in just eight years but Townend hadn’t ridden any of those winners. You have to go back 15 years for the champion jockey’s first success in this race, which was actually the first big success of his career, when he partnered John Kiely’s Indian Pace to score.

“In a Galway Hurdle you need everything to go right for you and it did today,” said Townend. “I got away well and when Denis [O’Regan, on Mighty Tom] went on after the stands, it kept the pace up, which was good because even though he’s had a few runs, he wasn’t the most experienced horse in the race so a good even gallop allowed him to get into a rhythm.

“I let him slide on for me into the dip and when I landed over the last, the winning post seemed a long way away. He dug me out up the run in.”

IT didn’t happen for Laughifuwant (7/1) here on Monday evening but it usually does happen for him at Galway and the former Ahonoora Handicap winner finally took advantage of a depleted mark of 80 to score for the third time around Ballybrit.

The start was key for Gerry Keane’s eight-year-old. In contrast to Monday where Colin Keane couldn’t get a good position from a wide draw, his mount bolted out of the stalls and got a nice lead from Spanish Tenor. That pair proceeded to dominate the race and Laughifuwant eventually got the better of the front-runner.

“The ground probably wasn’t soft enough the other day,” Keane said of his horse, co-owned by his wife Esther and Eva Forde. “He had a bad draw, he was pushed out wide, he (Colin) tried to get in, but the horse is probably gone a bit clever when horses come around him. Today everything worked out well.”

Corrib surprise

The main aim for Miramis was to get some blacktype in the Listed Arthur Guinness Irish EBF Corrib Fillies Stakes but Joseph O’Brien’s mare got all that and more as she edged out Keep In Touch to score at 12/1.

Ridden by Dylan Browne McMonagle, the E S Racing-owned five-year-old got a lovely position in behind Keep In Touch, and when Pandora Lovegood’s challenge faded on the turn-in, her rider seized the initiative, moving up alongside the favourite and always looking like she’d take her measure.

“I was the winner from a long way out,” Browne McMonagle said afterwards. “I was always very confident that when I got her out she galloped through the line well and it was good to see her back to her best.

“The main aim was getting blacktype but it looked like a race that you could actually swipe if you got the rub of the green. She loves soft ground.”

Browne McMonagle doubled his tally on Ciaran Murphy’s Granville Street (11/1), who stayed on best in the straight to see off the Willie Mullins hotpot Stoke The Fire by three quarters of a length in the Guinness 0.0 Handicap.

The Street Wise Syndicate-owned gelding sat in second throughout the mile-and-a-half contest, took it up from the long-time leader Out On Friday as they straightened up and then stuck on gamely to see off challenges on either side.

The winner was bought with Galway in mind and has proven a real consistent sort so far, having finished second on his first two starts for his current connections and having set himself up nicely for this effort by finishing fourth at Ballinrobe. Longer term, Murphy sees the son of Raven’s Pass as a hurdler.

HERCULE Du Seuil made it three wins over fences with another impressive display for Mark Walsh and Willie Mullins in the two-mile-two-furlong Grade 3 Guinness Open Gate Brewery Novice Chase.

Sent off the 8/11 favourite, the J.P. McManus-owned six-year-old travelled well in front but he looked to have a queue of dangerous challengers at the double-jump. Walsh always looked happy however, and he soon came clear up the hill, with six and a half lengths the winning margin over his old Killarney rival Solness.

“It was a good performance because it’s not long since he won at Killarney and he loves racing on flat tracks,” Mullins said. “I thought coming to Galway might be a step too far, coming up that hill twice is a tough assignment.

“Mark even thought before the race he was a bit dead in himself but he thinks the horse is settling, and learning to relax and that is going to help him see out longer trips, and have more towards the end of the race.

“Good ground is important to him so whatever two-mile and two-and-a-quarter-mile races we can find for him will be on the radar.”

Mullins completed a treble in the closing Guinness Time INH Flat Race when I Will Be Baie (4/7 favourite), ridden by his son Patrick, gained compensation for his Punchestown demotion following a stewards’ enquiry.

The Roaringwater Syndicate-owned five-year-old raced up with the pace for much of the two-mile contest but had to be hard driven to see off the late challenge of Don’tstopthemusic.”

Doyen delivers

The Guinness Novice Hurdle went to The Big Doyen (11/2) and queued massive celebrations from the Money For Jam Syndicate in the winner’s enclosure.

Peter Fahey’s six-year-old travelled sweetly on his first start over two and a half miles and as favourite Encanto Bruno faltered coming into the dip, he was in prime position as he took it up heading into the straight. However, he was all out to hold off What Path, and was a shade lucky also. Sexton’s mount drifted to his left, impeding What Path, and when Townend switched back inside, he did so as Sexton corrected himself.

It might have proved crucial considering What Path’s late surge but the winning distance of a length always meant the first past the post was relatively safe after the stewards called for an enquiry.

“Kevin was always saying step him up in trip but I couldn’t see it myself because he was so keen over two miles,” said Fahey. “It’s great for the lads, who have got a great bit of craic out of it.

“He’s electric to jump. It’s a great asset to him, and possibly a hindrance to him over hurdles, jumping into the back of horses. We’ll stay over hurdles as long as everything is going well and if not, we can switch to fences.”

Mars Harper (11/2) was well held by Sharjah here on Tuesday but went one better on Thursday when getting the better of Sir Argus in the two-mile-six-furlong Guinness Beginners Chase for Gordon Elliott and Sam Ewing.

The Pioneer Racing-owned seven-year-old raced up alongside the runner-up throughout and - with the favourite struggling coming into the double jump - Ewing gained the upper hand 100 yards before the line.