FRESH from recording his first Listowel Festival winner, jockey Sean O’Keeffe got off the mark at Galway with a double which featured a victory for the very capable Western Victory in the Deacy Gilligan Irish EBF Mares Hurdle.

This mare accounted for Getaway Katie Mae when recording her sole previous success, which came at this track last October, and this time accounted for another very decent type in Great White Shark (4/6 favourite and distressed post-race) who could only manage third.

On her first start since joining Declan Queally from Colin Bowe, the victorious daughter of Westerner adopted her usual front-running tactics, and when the favourite made mistakes four and three out it was starting to look ominous for punters.

An unrelenting Western Victory asserted again nearing the final flight and crossed the line 11 lengths clear of last year’s winner, Awayinthewest. A trip to Gowran early next month for a listed mares’ hurdle could be next for the winner whose form last season included a second to Honeysuckle in a Fairyhouse Grade 3 last January.

Rock back-to-form

O’Keeffe was earlier successful on Pakens Rock (5/2) who came back to form with a brave front-running effort in the Kenny Developments Maiden Hurdle.

Pakens Rock and Sean O'Keeffe led in after winning the Kenny Developments Maiden Hurdle by Vincent and Raymond Healy, breeder and owner \ Healy Racing

A first winner of the season for his trainer Barry Murphy and back after a two-month break, the Ray Healy-owned Pakens Rock first dealt with the well-backed Whatwasthatabout (25/1-10/1) and then lasted home by a length from the keeping-on Mooltazem. The odds-on favourite, Future Proof, had to settle for fourth.

There was yet further woe for odds-on punters in the two-mile, five-furlong maiden hurdle where Military Hill (6/1) bested the three-time French flat winner Ego Des Mottes (4/9), who was making his Irish debut.

A vastly experienced sort from the flat – where he won four times – Military Hill began his hurdling career with a promising effort behind Days Without End at Bellewstown last month and made emphatic progress from that outing to score by eight lengths under Donie McInerney. This was a second winner of the season for Paul Stafford who trains the gelding for Sean Gallagher.