FEATURE race on Tuesday was Galway’s Listed Ardilaun Hotel Irish EBF Oyster Stakes which was won by four-race maiden Thunder Roll (7/2), which scored for trainer Joseph O’Brien, jockey Dylan Browne McMonagle and owners the Annus Mirabilis Syndicate.

Previously placed in all four starts, including at listed and Group 3 level, the well-backed Night Of Thunder-filly today raced with the pace, led before the home turn and stayed on well to beat Enfranchise by three-quarters of a length.

Browne McMonagle reported: “I let her jump forward from the gates and she stayed well although it was a bit messy for the first half and I got the worst of the barging around the first bend.

“She has been a model of consistency and never runs a bad race. It is onwards and upwards now and she looks like she could be better next year.”

Apprentice jockey Killian Hennessy completed a double for O’Brien’s father champion trainer Aidan O’Brien, beginning with newcomer Grosnevor Square’s taking debut success in the opening Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden.

Under pressure

Thrice-raced Gandolfo had Grosnevor Square under pressure entering the home straight but the winner quickened smartly to score going-away.

Ballydoyle’s representative Chris Armstrong commented: “He is a lovely horse, is only starting to develop and was just right for starting here. Aidan thought it would be a nice introduction to get him started but obviously they went steady which wouldn’t suit.

“He is a brother to Santiago and on pedigree and home work he will be a lovely middle-distance horse next year. We’ll step him up into one of the group races now and everything is building to next year.

“It took Killian a long time to pull him up and he was only doing his best work once he hit the line.”

He added: “We’ve started many the good horse here including Kyprios, and Navy Seal won here at the last meeting (in August). It is a great introduction for them, especially the middle-distance horses, coming down a hill on sharp bends and then coming back up the hill. It brings them along mentally and is good to get runs under their belts at this time of year.”

Double up

Ballydoyle and Hennessy’s double was completed in the concluding Sean Cleary Memorial (Fillies) Maiden on nose winner Erato (6/1), which edged out 2/5 favourite Deadly Nightshade in a tight finish.

Armstrong reported: “That is a very important bracket to get and she is a filly with a fine staying pedigree.

“Seamus (Heffernan) rode her both times at Bellewstown and from the first run thought she’d definitely win. It’s grand she has got the win and Killian gave her a nice ride and it was nice for him to get a double.”

Laugh the ‘legend’ keeps Keane smiling

TRAINER Gerry Keane followed up his recent Irish Champions Festival winner with a third consecutive success as his Laughifyouwant (5/4 favourite) landed the Donnellys Of Barna Rated Race.

Keane’s run began with a winner on Thursday under his son, champion jockey Colin Keane, who then steered his Crystal Black to win Sunday’s ‘Northfields’ Handicap at the Curragh and today completed the quick hat-trick on half-length winner Laughifyouwant.

Keane senior stated: “Laughifuwant has been a great horse, a legend for us and loves this place. He has been a great horse for us and was unlucky not to win a group race. He is ground dependent and the softer the better.”

Right horse

Keane added: “The people who now own half of him say that if he did get the two miles, he’d be a right horse over hurdles. We pop him at home and he jumps well and while he mightn’t take to them at all, you’d imagine he’d have no problem winning his maiden hurdle

“I don’t know whether or not it’ll happen but he is a gelding so we’re tempted.”

Another successful Irish Champions Festival team, Matron Stakes winners jockey Chris Hayes, trainer Dermot Weld and owner/breeder the Aga Khan, were on the mark with Tannola which readily justified 1/5 favouritism in the Irish EBF Median Sires Series Maiden.

Hayes reported: “Tannola is a grand filly and physically she has done extremely well from her run here at the festival. She lost nothing in defeat in either of her two runs when she bumped into two smart fillies. I think she is a stakes filly.”

Duffy keeps it Purring sweet

THE Galway Handicap provided Shane Duffy with a fine result as his Purring Along led home two stablemates for a ‘1-3-5’, for the five-horse trainer.

Ridden by Nathan Crosse, the 7/2 second-favourite scored readily by five lengths from Mercurial with Duffy’s Talking Tough filling third.

Duffy commented: “Purring Along was working the best she ever has in the past week. We kept her fresh and sweet, brought her to the beach the other day and I don’t think I ever saw a horse as fresh on the beach!

“Nathan also gave her a cracking ride. We only have five horses in and I’ve never had three runners on one day, never mind in one race, however, they were all fresh and well so we said we’d run them.

“I have great owners - Michelle (Shannon) and David (Mooney, partner) are fantastic and Garry Fleming is a dream to have.”

Consistent Rampage (4/1) followed up a Leopardstown success in July with a second success in today’s James P. Cunningham Electrical Handicap, for jockey James Ryan, trainer Tom McCourt and owners Pauline McCourt, Whyte’s Stamullen Syndicate and Stephen Sweeney.

Ryan said: “We got him from England at the horses-in-training sale and he seems to be in a good vein of form. He had been knocking on the door and was due to get his head back in front.”

Welcome winner

Former Galway Hurdle-winning trainer Paul Flynn had a welcome winner in the Galway Apprentice Handicap as his Robert Whearty-partnered Golden Sandbanks (14/1) scored for owners Aidan Gallagher, Fadhbarbith Unlimited Company and David G Walsh.

Flynn revealed: “My horses haven’t been running well due to a low-grade virus. I think it could be dust-related - there was a lot of barley cut beside me recently and whether or not it’s a coincidence or not I’m not sure. A few ran better in the last few days. It’s Aidan’s (Gallagher) birthday and he always wanted a Galway winner as he is from Ballinasloe.”