Amlah, trained in Somerset by Philip Hobbs, created history by becoming the first British-trained horse to win an incident-packed Compaq Galway Plate yesterday.
Hobbs, who rode Furbo in the Plate 20 years ago, has had the Plate as a long-term plan for Amlah for some time, but plans went out the window as early as the second fence.
Brendan Powell, riding his most important winner in Ireland, had planned to track Gales Cavalier through the race and try to conserve Amlah's suspect stamina, but Gales Cavalier unseated Adrian Maguire and Powell was forced to improvise.
He did so brilliantly. After threading his way through the early part of the race, Amlah had the pace-setting Art Prince and Corket in his sights at the top of the hill. The well-backed favourite, Lucky Town, was also produced with perfect timing by David Casey and, as they swept into the dip, battle was joined.
Amlah and Lucky Town jumped the last two fences well, but then Gales Cavalier played another significant role. Galloping loose, he veered left off the turn and carried Amlah with him. Casey quickly went for everything, but Lucky Town was coming to the end of his tether and Amlah chased Gales Cavalier up the hill with gusto to win by 13 lengths.
Winning owner Salvo Giannini was winning a second big Irish prize, having been part of the syndicate that owned the 1997 Irish Grand National winner. But Hobbs' connection with the Plate is much longer.
"I rode Furgo, without much success, for Michael Oliver in the race, and after Amlah won at Stratford, this was always the plan. But the plan was not to hit the front two out. We had doubts about the trip and then he got pushed wide, but maybe the ground was better out there. We fancied him though, and I couldn't believe his price," Hobbs said.
The last turn incident looked dramatic, but Powell was less perturbed than most. "Having looked at the racing on Tuesday, I had decided to come wide anyway. He took me wider than I wanted, but he did me no real harm and he actually helped me get home," Powell said.
Lucky Town's trainer, Enda Bolger, had no excuses and declared: "The winner looked to be badly impeded and deserved to win, but our horse has run a good race."
Corket's trainer, Frances Crowley, also praised the winner, bought out of Kevin Prendergast's yard as a three-year-old, but said: "The ground was a little dead for our horse."
The Kerry National at Listowel could be a target for Amlah, but an intriguing alternative is the Norweigan Grand National at the end of September.
Ken Whelan may yet make it on to the Irish jockeys team visiting Australia on Sunday. He took a heavy fall off Multeen Jet in the handicap hurdle and suffered severe bruising to an arm. He is stood down for the rest of the week, but may yet make it Down Under. The race went to Storm Gem, who was giving local trainer Pat Fahy his second winner of the festival.
Dermot Weld, however, brought his total for the week so far to six with a superb treble. Gold Chaser drifted to 12 to 1 in the market for the mile handicap, but in the race he ran as straight as a dye to a six-length win.
Pat Smullen also rode Dual Star to victory in the mile maiden, but it was Edgar Byrne who guided Francis Bay to an ultra-smooth win in the amateur maiden.
Almost £2 million was bet at Galway yesterday. The bookmakers' turnover was £1,304,583, up almost £200,000. The Tote turnover was a Galway record at £614,057.
