Ronan and 'Tubs' doing a fine job with The Trigger

The Open Gate Pure Brew Handicap Hurdle went to The Trigger at odds of 4/1.

Mark Walsh got a great run through on the inside after the second-last flight to lead before the last, and the Beneficial gelding stayed on resolutely up the hill to score by two and a quarter lengths and a head from Brogine and Victoria Bay The 3/1 favourite Tune The Chello finished eighth.

The winner is in a rich vein of form at the age of eleven. This was a fourth win on the spin in the month of July, with a handicap chase win at Tipperary followed by handicap hurdle victories at Kilbeggan and Limerick.

A delighted winning owner/trainer Ronan McNally said: "I'm over the moon — delighted.

“We did fancy him coming here. The handicapper gave him 12lb for the last day but we thought it was fair as every race he has improved.

“My son 'Tubs' had him spot on for today, he rides him at home and he told me he was ready to rock!

“We took a chance, Galway wasn't the plan to be honest. It was just that he won so impressively at Limerick and was getting 12lb so I said 'why not' and stuck him in.

“That's four wins in under four weeks, it's amazing. I had horses won a sequence before and then we've given them a break and sometimes you can't get them back.

“When he's in good form like that I might just give him a week or two and maybe try and go for the five.

“We'll strike while the iron is hot as he's eleven. You could give him a break and he could come back and never be the same. We'll play it by ear, get today over and see how it goes.

“(My son) Tiernan couldn't come today as he's busy with the kitchen and Tubs is outside watching through the hedge.

“It's a pity because he's Sean Flanagan's ride but he broke his sternum the other day. He's turned the horse inside out and got a good tune out of him. He's a big part of it.

“We needed the split there as he had a rough enough passage and ran keen the whole way. He never really got any light at any of his hurdles.

“It looked like we were in trouble turning in but Mark said once he got the split he knew he was going to win.

“It's some achievement to win four-in-a-row in Ireland, it's hard to do, especially at eleven.”

Additional reporting by Gary Carson