Rovetta delights Harrington in Galway

Rovetta won for the second time at this year's Galway Festival for Jessica Harrington.

The four-year-old filly was a decisive winner of a mares' handicap hurdle on Wednesday and followed up in the penultimate race of the festival - the extended mile and five handicap.

She was niggled along on the outer in mid-division by Colm O'Donoghue with three furlongs left to go.

She found for him though and made good headway to close on the leaders turning in.

The French bred was ridden to lead inside the final furlong and stuck to her task to close the race out by three parts of a length at 5/1. Newcross could be considered unlucky as he had no room a furlong out and flashed home strongly in second at 7/1.

He was half a length up on Days Without End at 25/1. Archive was the same distance away in fourth at 16/1.

Jessica Harrington said: “She’s my only winner during the week and has won twice. She was great although Colm was a lot further back than he wanted to be. He got a bit squeezed after the start but he said once she came down the hill he didn’t really have to go for her. She won well in the end and is as tough as old boots.

“She’s going to have a month rest now and may go to Listowel for a four-year-old hurdle. I don’t think she’ll get in the four-year-old (Lartigue Hurdle) handicap.”

After this race Billy Lee was confirmed as the top Flat jockey at the Galway Festival with three wins. He had a double on Thursday and won the featured Guinness Handicap on Friday aboard Nessun Dorma.

Additional reporting by Alan Magee