WESTERN Fold and young western star Danny Gilligan proved a match made in heaven in the 2025 running of the Tote Galway Plate - the pair combining to deliver a stunning fifth Plate victory in 10 years for Gordon Elliott.

So often the talk is of horses for courses at Galway, but what about jockeys for courses? From only five rides in handicap chases around Ballybrit, the locally-born teenager has now captured two Galway Plates and last year's Galway Blazers. He was also second aboard Duffle Coat in the Plate 12 months ago on his only other attempt at the race.

Elliott’s record in the €270,000 summer highlight is something to behold too. No one in modern times has won the race more times than the 47-year-old, with his latest victory coming through an improving novice, who was sent off 11/1 here after running out a good winner of the Mayo National on his previous start.

Amirite and Darragh O’Keeffe gave a bold display out in front and still looked a legitimate contender turning for home before fresher legs came to tackle him. Gilligan, riding with his customary coolness, took the race by the scruff of the neck at the top of the bend, only to have Galway regular Jesse Evans (9/1) looming in the wingmirrors.

Noel Meade’s versatile stalwart threw down a dangerous challenge but he couldn’t quite sustain his challenge and came up four and a half lengths short of the winner, owned by Weld-Spec Glasgow Ltd and Dee L'Estrange.

The winner’s stablemate Shecouldbeanything ran on admirably for third at 33/1, with Amirite clear of Sea Moon in fifth.

Speaking after his six-year-old carried 11st 10lb to victory - the biggest weight for a winner since Ansar 20 years earlier - Elliott said: “He's a right horse. Bobby O'Ryan [who retains a quarter share in the winner] bought him for David [L'Estrange] and John [Wright] and the boys have been very patient with him. He was a bit backward when he was young.

“This race has been the plan for a while so I'm delighted the lads are here, it's a dream for the lads to be here and win the race. Bobby put the syndicate together so all credit has to go to him.

“Everything worked out great. Danny got away at the start and the horse jumped like a buck; I think he just missed one into the dip. Everything went right and it was poetry in motion. I thought the 10lb rise he got for winning the Mayo National might have been enough to stop him - I was worried. I'd say the ground is the key to him, though; he likes a bit of nice ground.”

At the tender age of 19, Gilligan has been riding with immense maturity - and the big-race winners are flowing. His big-handicap record, in particular, makes for some reading, with two Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Hurdles, two Mayo Nationals, a Grand Annual, Troytown Chase and a Lartigue Hurdle now added to his Plate brace.

“I really can’t believe it. I thought, when I won it two years ago that that would be me, but to come back and finish second in it last year and come back and win in this year, it’s unbelievable,” said Gilligan, who hails from 20 minutes up the road in Craughwell.

“Just to be riding in these races is a massive privilege and I can’t thank Gordon and his owners for giving me the chance. I'm only delighted when it works out. He has great luck in this race, which is a big help for us, and he’s so easy to ride for.

“Since he’s got his nice ground, this horse is really starting to improve with every run. I wasn’t sure after the last day, when he got a bit of a hike for winning at Ballinrobe, but I knew he had a live chance. He proved today that he’s a top-quality horse.”

Noel Meade was full of pride regarding the run of Jesse Evans, who desperately deserves a change of luck at this meeting.

“He ran a belter again,” said last year’s winning trainer (with Pinkerton).

“It’s hard to believe that he’s been second in two Galway Hurdles and now a Galway Plate. He just ran too free early. Everything went right, we got away at the started where we wanted but every time he landed at a fence he wanted to go again; just half ran himself into the ground, I’d say. The last half furlong caught him out.

“He ran a great race and jumped brilliant, got a great ride. I can’t say a bad word about it all. The 3lb he picked up at Punchestown [when beaten 14 and a half lengths by Majborough in May] might just have cost him a little bit too, but there you go. He definitely won’t run in the Hurdle tomorrow.”

Long-range favourite for the race, Nurburgring (6/1), could never get involved from off the pace and was pulled up before the second last, late mistakes cost Down Memory Lane (7/1) dearly, having held a nice position to four out (reported to have a moderate amount of mucus in his right nostril post race), while a morning gamble on Buddy One (15/2) failed to materialise in sixth. Anyway (17/2) unseated at the fourth.