Review galway 31st Jul

< Truckers Delight stepped up on last season's fourth to take the feature race on the final day of the Galway Festival, the Connacht Tribune Handicap Chase.

A regular at the meeting, the Shark Hanlon-trained 10-year-old was sent off the 3-1 favourite after finishing an unlucky fourth at the track on Tuesday.

Conor O'Farrell rode a patient race and closed on the leaders going to the final two fences before easing past Norther Bay in the straight to win by a comfortable five and a half lengths.

It would have been strange for the meeting to end without another Dermot Weld-trained winner and 13-8 favourite Comedic Art made it 17 for the Rosewell House handler with a three-length call under Leigh Roche in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden.

The Easyfix EBF Mares Handicap Hurdle looked a tricky contest for punters to solve but it was won easily by the Tony Mullins-trained Clarach < Benefit Of Porter looked to be going well when she took it up, but Danny Mullins was coasting in behind on the 8-1 chance and brushed her rival aside after the last to score by four and a half lengths.

There was a shock result to the Galway Bay FM Beginners Chase when Diarmuid Ryan's 33-1 shot Venture Lazarus held on to belie his abysmal form figures of PPP, achieved in three point-to-points.

Favourite Regal D'Estruval attempted to make all and was 10 lengths clear at one stage, but he was collared after the final fence by Venture Lazarus, who was kept going by amateur Michael Nolan to beat Native Palm by a length.

The Martinstown Opportunity Handicap Hurdle went to the Francis Flood-trained Bobby John (13-2), who took it up approaching the second-last under Declan Bates and romped away to win by seven lengths.

There was a thrilling finish to the Galway Shopping Centre Handicap as Danny Benson just kept Joanna Morgan's Independent Girl (11-1) going long enough to hold Badger Or Bust by a neck.