Joyce lands feature on Crowns Major

Wesley Joyce took the featured €100,000 handicap on day six of the Galway Festival on board Crowns Major

The 7lb claimer settled his mount in third behind pacesetting Longbourn and Starlight Dream

The pair came through on the inner and improved into second off the home bend before setting their sights on Longbourn.

The leader's stride pattern shortened at the furlong marker and Longbourn was ridden to soon claim him.

He won going away in the closing stages by two lengths at 7/1. Longbourn put in a good shift at the front end before giving best in second at 11/1. Camorra (14/1) and Baby Zeus (13/2) gave their supporters an each-way return in third and fourth respectively.

Trainer Emmet Mullins said: “It was a brilliant performance, especially from Wesley here in Galway around a tricky track in a big handicap like that. He was very cool on him and we're delighted.

“The trip (an extended mile and three furlongs) was definitely a worry but to be fair they went such a slow gallop in the two-mile the other night, and he was keen, that may as well have been a mile-and-a-half race.

“It was a huge pot, a great race, and if you're not in it you can't win it. That's a great big pot to get with a horse like that. The little foray to Japan is paying off in spades now!

“It was only his first ever run in a handicap on Tuesday night and I'd say the experience and everything stood to him.

“He was actually only 2 kilos lighter coming here today so it didn't knock a funk out of him.

“It was always the plan to target these premier handicaps with him, the November Handicap, the Cesarewitch and the likes.

“He's an exciting horse going forward.”

Joyce added: “He jumped very smart and I sat behind the leaders as I thought they were going a bit quick. I said I'd let them go on and give my horse a breather.

“I came along, picked them up, gave him two slaps and then he just brought me home. He won with a bit in hand and he's a very nice horse.

“It's very good for me to win this €100,000 handicap, it's a big race for a 7lb claimer.”

Additional reporting by Gary Carson