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Tom Weekes

Tom Weekes

Gilligan capitalises on final day with 3lb claim

Mon 5th Aug 2024, 15:35

Major Barry and Danny Gilligan (nearest)Major Barry and Danny Gilligan (nearest)
© Photo Healy Racing

Jockey Danny Gilligan partnered his first winner since losing his right to claim at Galway on Friday, when steering Major Barry (3/1f) to land Cork's Fermoy Handicap Hurdle for joint-trainers John and Tommy Kiely.

Gilligan finished second in Wednesday's featured Galway Plate but collected the consolation Galway Blazers race on Friday, which was his landmark 60th career winner.

Given a now customary one extra declaration-stage day's leeway, Gilligan was thus booked to ride Major Barry on Saturday morning - with his 3lb claim fully intact, which made the difference in today's race, as Major Barry defeated Spy by just a half-length.

Training legend John Kiely later revealed “a win any place is nice but I love Mallow; I was here in 1953 with a horse trained by my father who was beaten a head in a bumper.

“This horse won over 2m4f in Roscommon so stays further and is a chaser in the making. He gave him a very good ride and it was good to have him. We'll see how he comes out of this before making plans.”

1st
3/1Fav
Tote €4.10 €1.70
2nd
0.5L
8/1
€2.80
3rd
5.5L
7/2
€1.40
About Tom Weekes
A lifelong racing fan, Tom began writing point to point reports in 2002 and has reported for irishracing.com since 2003, when he joined Irish Racing Services - since taken over by the Press Association. Has ridden a point to point winner and won the 2018 Irish Field Naps Table.