Townend at the double with Steel Wave

Steel Wave the 13/2 favourite, made the most of a run down the inside from mid-division to move into contention in the Anglo Printers Handicap Hurdle at Galway. The move paid off as he finished off the race best to give trainer Garrett Power a victory.

He jumped the second last in third place behind Vintage Supreme and Realta Rathcabhain

The five-year-old gelding continued his progress along the rail and came to tackle Vintage Supreme at the last. In the closing stages the favourite asserted and came in four and three parts of a length up on Realta Rathcabhain (7/1).

Vintage Supreme (11/1 from 14/1) and Fairy Court (9/1) kept on in the run-in for third and fourth respectively in this 19-runner handicap, without either troubling the winner.

Paul Townend said: "They went plenty quick for us and I thought we flew and the plan wasn't to be so far back but he's a funny horse and Garrett has done a good job to get his head right. It fell right for us. He was able to settle today.

"We had to ride for a bit of luck at the top of the hill and thankfully we got it. Garrett gave him a little shout. He said he thought he had him sorted out."

This gave Townend a Ballybrit double as he took the previous race on Diva Dawn

Steel Wave was backed during the day from 12/1 to 8/1 and from 7/1 on opening show. On his last appearance he finished eighth of 18 in Cork after his saddle slipped.