Gilligan capitalises on final day with 3lb claim

Jockey Danny Gilligan partnered his first winner since losing his right to claim at Galway on Friday, when steering Major Barry (3/1f) to land Cork's Fermoy Handicap Hurdle for joint-trainers John and Tommy Kiely.

Gilligan finished second in Wednesday's featured Galway Plate but collected the consolation Galway Blazers race on Friday, which was his landmark 60th career winner.

Given a now customary one extra declaration-stage day's leeway, Gilligan was thus booked to ride Major Barry on Saturday morning - with his 3lb claim fully intact, which made the difference in today's race, as Major Barry defeated Spy by just a half-length.

Training legend John Kiely later revealed “a win any place is nice but I love Mallow; I was here in 1953 with a horse trained by my father who was beaten a head in a bumper.

“This horse won over 2m4f in Roscommon so stays further and is a chaser in the making. He gave him a very good ride and it was good to have him. We'll see how he comes out of this before making plans.”