EOIN McCarthy was swarmed by enthusiastic supporters after Shadow Paddy provided the trainer with his biggest career success in the Grade 3 Guinness Open Gate Brewery Novice Chase.

Now a perfect three out of three over fences, the 5/2 favourite saved his best for last in the closing stages - wearing down a determined Lady Bluebird by a length and a quarter under Gary Noonan.

The gelding by Shadow Gate, a sire arguably better known in the sport horse world, was easily one of the best turned out horses of the entire week for the Complete Package Syndicate.

McCarthy said: “The race probably didn’t go to plan. He was getting there to easily and when he took him back, he was flat-footed up the hill and he drifted wide. When he knuckled down, he quickened up and settled it quick enough. The dream is still alive.

“These are great racing people involved in him and they gave me and the horse lots of patience. It’s fantastic that they have been repaid. I’m buzzing to see the horse do this; I was nervous all morning. This horse doesn’t realise the weight that’s on his shoulders.

“We have aspirations to build the yard and I have big aspirations for him. This is what you do it for, this is why you buy stores. This is our first Grade 3 winner and it’s fantastic see the enjoyment all the owners are getting out of it.”

Jet’s hat-trick

Henry de Bromhead registered his first Galway Festival winner since 2023 when Midnight Jet got the better of a prolonged tussle with Roc Dino in the Guinness Novice Hurdle - a third winning favourite across the first four races (second favourite won the other contest).

This represented a third win on the bounce for Anthony Head’s five-year-old, who joined the Grand National-winning trainer privately after a Killarney bumper success for Sam Curling.

The handicapper had 5lb between the first two, in favour of the winner, while Midnight Jet was conceding 3lb to his main market rival. A margin of a length and a quarter between the pair proved that the assessor was pretty spot on in his judgement.

De Bromhead said: “He’s still a bit of a baby but he’s progressing all the time. Darragh was brilliant on him and the horse jumped great. I’m delighted for Tony and Caroline [Head], who are over from Arizona and got to see him.

“Coming here always being the plan; we need to back off him now. He’s only a novice until the end of November.”

JOE Murphy picked quite the way to end a 283-day gap between winners when Pivotal Attack made it back-to-back Galway Festival wins in the Listed Arthur Guinness Irish EBF Corrib Fillies Stakes with a taking performance.

Robert Moran’s Pinatubo three-year-old had earned Group 3 blacktype twice since beating Amelia Earhart in a maiden here 12 months ago, but this represented a first blacktype victory for her in her fledgling career.

The response was excellent when Gary Carroll asked the well-backed 3/1 shot to quicken clear of massive improver Meriden (2/1 favourite). The margin was a length and a half, but she won more dominantly than that suggests.

“It’s a big relief for me and my family,” said Murphy.

“We were placed in premier handicaps and a couple of group races, but this is our first winner of the season at Galway. You just have to get through those spells. It happens to every yard every six or seven years. You don’t change anything, you don’t panic, you just slightly move on quietly. Luckily enough, all the owners are understanding.

“Today was a very strong listed race and hopefully we’ll get a Group 3 from her. She has a nice pedigree and is a valuable commodity for going to stud. She’s a lovely filly who enjoys an ease in the ground.”

Murphy added: “Galway is like Cheltenham to us. We only have 35 horses, which is small compared to other yards, so to compete at that level in Ireland is very hard. You see a stakes race [like the Group 1 Golden Fleece Stakes at the Irish Champions Festival] and from 58 entries, 44 are trained by the O’Briens. That’s the way racing has gone. We’re like the darts player with only one dart to throw, and one dartboard.

“The horses weren’t showing signs of being unwell. We don’t know why the horses were out of form, but we do have this new transition of vaccinating horses every six months. I believe that might have a bearing. A vaccine is a mild infection to kill another infection and within a six-month period, you have to manage that a bit better.”

Seven sluices up

Johne Murphy’s Thoroughbred Racing Syndicate and Kevin Blake toasted a plan well executed by Joseph O’Brien when Seven Nation Army ran riot in the Guinness Irish EBF Nursery Handicap under Joey Sheridan.

This represented an emphatic step forward from his handicap debut second at the Curragh. He made a mockery of his rating of 78 in putting four and three quarters of a length between himself and his rivals.

Speaking after the well-backed 13/8 success, Blake said: “We were all complaining about the 5lb rise that he got for finishing second at the Curragh last time but the handicapper was right, as he usually is.

“It’s nice when a plan comes together. We had great luck with Johnne when Joseph first started training, including a couple of winners here in 2019 with Linger. As things moved on, we hadn’t done it as much over the years but Johnne said to me last year we’d have to try it again. We bought this horse as a yearling in Germany and Fratas, who finished second earlier this week and runs again on Saturday. That would be part two of the plan!”

THE HOS Syndicate added the Galway Festival to their growing list of marquee meetings to record winners at thanks to a thoroughly likeable display from strongly-supported newcomer Run Ted Run in the concluding Guinness Time Bumper over two miles and two furlongs.

After shrugging off the attentions of eventual third Dieux Diligence, Patrick Mullins looked to have a serious fight on his hands when Sir Vinny - with the benefit of two previous starts - loomed large around the outer in the home straight.

It was a brave display from the Joshua Tree five-year-old, who was bought for €45,000 at the 2024 Goffs Arkle Sale from Liss House, to get the verdict by a short-head.

Willie Mullins said of the 5/4 favourite: “This horse is very special. He was called Run Ted Run by the late Andrew Heffernan, who named him after his grandchild Ted, who has Down Syndrome. To see him win first time out is fantastic.

“Patrick didn’t lose an inch the whole way around and this horse had been showing nicely, so we kept him for Galway. I’ll see what Patrick says but he should probably go hurdling next. I think he’ll be a nice chaser in time.”

Roche delight

There were happy local connections in Thursday’s feature and the Rockshore Refreshingly Irish Handicap over an extended mile also yielded a popular result with the western natives, as Galway rider Leigh Roche partnered Cala Bonita to victory for trainer Matthew Smith.

Andy Slattery looked to have established a substantial enough advantage early in the straight, appearing set to take some beating aboard Zaraahmando. However, Shay Gillen’s 8/1 chance (from 28/1 in the morning) managed to see this out strongly, with her stamina proven over an extended 10 furlongs at Dundalk, and got on top by a length and three quarters.

Smith said: “She finished seventh here the other evening [behind Lady Arwen] when she was drawn out wide and didn’t get much of a run. She seemed well this morning so we took our chance.

“I’m delighted for Shay, from Tullamore. He’s my principal supporter and it’s great to have a winner here again this year after I drew a blank last year. She could run again on Saturday if she gets in.”

Lee’s on form

Billy Lee brought up his third winner across the first four days of the Galway Festival when guiding Andy Oliver’s Faro Island to victory in the Guinness 0.0 Handicap with a smooth ride.

The now three-time winner, owned by Jim Nicholson, isn’t overly exposed for a four-year-old and brought his very best for this return to a mile and a half. Sent off at 10/1, he denied Tony Martin a double on the day with Day Trader, who was three parts of a length behind.

Oliver said: “Billy gave him a lovely ride. He had won previously at Gowran and we always felt he wanted a mile and a half. We probably didn’t get our tactics right the last few times, but got him to relax his time, took blinkers off and put the cheekpieces back on and everything worked. I’m delighted for Jim, who is a great supporter and deserves this.”