By Ryan McElligott

BARAWEEZ made it another lucrative visit to Ireland for Brian Ellison as he led home a clean sweep for the English raiders in the featured Irish Stallion Farms EBF Ahonoora Handicap.

Last autumn Ellison bagged the Irish Cesarewitch with Montefeltro and he mounted a strong challenge for this €100,000 prize with the Colm O’Donoghue-ridden Baraweez and Pacific Heights.

A cracking third in the Topaz Mile meant that Baraweez was sent off the 4/1 joint-favourite along with his stablemate and he duly maintained the strong record of English raiders in this race.

In an intriguing edition of this seven-furlong contest, the nine-runner field was well-grouped throughout and O’Donoghue produced his mount on the outer to make his bid rounding the last bend.

Entering the last furlong, Baraweez took the measure of his stablemate and he found more when pressed by Jacks Revenge to win by half a length. Pacific Heights was another length and a half back with Have A Nice Day doing best of the home team in fourth.

“It was always the plan to come here and run him twice provided he handled the track,” said the Yorkshire-based trainer. “He was in great form after Tuesday and actually got rid of his lad when he was ridden out on Friday morning. The rain wasn’t a problem for both of mine as they had form on soft ground. This horse was a bit idle when he hit the front but that’s him and he found more when he needed to. This is a great place and hopefully we’ll be back.”

Tom Mullins couldn’t have been more generous in his praise of winning rider Davy Russell after stable stalwart Fosters Cross (12/1) rolled back the years in the Lord Hemphill Memorial Handicap Chase. Mullins hailed the ride as “one of the best any horse of mine ever got’’ after the Patrick O’Donovan-owned 12-year-old returned to the scene of his greatest triumph which came in the amateur riders’ handicap here in 2011.

Fresh from an unplaced run here earlier in the week, Fosters Cross was kept wide by Russell and the pair surged into contention on the outer approaching the last two fences. Fosters Cross had still to come under pressure turning in but he dug deep when required to hold off Pires by half a length.

“A lot of this is down to Davy, he knows this horse better than I do. Sometimes this horse gets disappointed if he can’t lead but Davy kept him happy on the outside the whole way and produced him at just the right time, it was a brilliant ride,” reflected Mullins. “He’s 12 and I hope it’s not his swansong but if it is it’s a good one.”

The highly progressive Beau Satchel (11/2) made it three wins in succession and offered the promise of more to come in the seven-furlong Galway Shopping Centre Handicap. A preference for an ease in the ground meant that the Adrian McGuinness inmate was running for the first time in two months but he had little difficulty in defying a career high rating of 64.

Always well-placed from his stall one draw under Joseph O’Brien, he took the measure of Wednesday’s winner Cairdiuil heading into the last furlong and he defeated the English runner Prime Exhibit by a length.

It will be quite a surprise if the Total Recall Racing Club-owned winner fails to add to his tally this autumn.

“He’s a nice horse and he’ll have to move up in grade now but I think he’s good enough for premier handicaps,” commented McGuinness. “He just about handled the track and I’d say that a mile could suit him better.”

Another memorable Galway for Tony Martin ended on a high with a double which was kicked off by the former County Hurdle hero Ted Veale in the At The Races Beginners Chase. The 6/5 favourite under Barry Geraghty, despite having plenty to spare on ratings, was made to battle by Clonbanan Lad and it was only inside the last furlong that he got on top. A workmanlike Ted Veale succeeded by a lengths and a quarter.

“The ground wasn’t ideal for him and he missed the second last a bit but that gave him something to aim at and I’m happy enough,” stated Martin of the John Breslin-owned gelding.

Martin then turned his attentions to the flat as Pyromaniac (5/2) and Fran Berry picked up the mile and a half Trappers Inn Handicap. The Newtown Anner Stud-owned four-year-old was 9lb higher than when scoring at Leopardstown earlier in the season but he was another Martin runner to turn out at Ballybrit in the form of his life. He picked off What Lies Ahead inside the last furlong and responded well when pressed by Pivot Bridge to eek out a short head triumph.

“That was a great performance by horse and jockey and the ease in the ground helped this horse,” commented Martin. “He’s got plenty of size about him and we have the option of going back over hurdles with him.”

As expected the meeting ended with a Dermot Weld winner as Windsor Park made short work of his opponents in the Fr Breen Memorial (Pro-Am) Flat Race. On his first outing since landing a smart Leopardstown bumper in January, the Dr Ronan Lambe-owned gelding was returned at 2/9 and he travelled supremely well. He eased to the front for Robbie McNamara rounding the entrance to the straight and with imperceptible effort he defeated Pack The Punch by four and a quarter lengths.

“He was never off the bridle and it was a lovely race for him to start back in. He’s a very talented horse,” reported the jockey.

Some three years after capturing the winners’ bumper on this card the Yvonne Latta-trained Blossom Gate (18/1) rediscovered her best form in the three-mile Vision Express Handicap Hurdle. A second winner on the track for her trainer, Robbie Power’s mount struck for home before the straight and she stayed on stoutly to defeat Kostar by six and a half lengths. Now a five times winner, the capable daughter of Westerner had dropped some 13lb in the weights over the last year.

“Robbie was delighted with her and said she was cantering at all stages. He gave her a great ride and made sure she had plenty of daylight at her hurdles,” reported the winning trainer. “It’s a real family affair as my son Andrew is a huge cog in the wheel and my dad (William Powell-Harris) bred and owns the mare.”

The last flight exit of Lost Book in the Martinstown Opportunity Handicap Hurdle enabled Christy Roche’s Park Ranger (12/1) to record his first win since September 2011. Lost Book was in control of this race approaching the last but got that obstacle all wrong and parted company with Donagh Meyler.

This left Lilly The Lioness, Dashing Lady and the Jody McGarvey-ridden Park Ranger doing battle and the last-named was the strongest on the run in, prevailing by a length and three quarters.

Of J.P. McManus’ sixth winner of the week, racing manager Frank Berry reported: “It’s taken him a while to win over hurdles and he had luck on his side. He has his own ideas about the game and I didn’t think this would be his place. He’ll go for another handicap.’’