Ansar, the horse for the course, hit the big time with a wonderfully assured success in the £110,000 Guinness Galway Hurdle.
It was a first victory in the festival's richest race for jockey Paul Carberry, and a third in the race for trainer Dermot Weld. But Ansar trumped them all by maintaining a 100 per cent winning record around the uniquely demanding track.
This was the horse's second success this week, having picked up a 12lb penalty to get into the weights properly on Monday, and Ansar also won twice at the festival last year.
"He is the ideal Galway horse. He has been so consistent and this race has been the plan for a long time," said Weld, who picked up the prize with Strathline in 1985 and Spanner in 1975. Not for the first time at Galway, Weld's plan hatched to perfection.
"Ansar had been 10lb out of the handicap, which is why we ran him on Monday," Weld explained. "He has deliberately not had many races over hurdles, but he is such a super jumper that he is better over hurdles than he is on the flat."
The cherry on top of the big race cocktail was yet another Paul Carberry special in a big race.
Patiently ridden, Carberry steered Ansar, who could now be aimed at the English Cesarewitch, through the pack to sit right on the heels of the leaders at the top of the hill. Abaco was about to give best in the lead, but those who plunged on the English favourite Ulundi down to 5 to 2 favourite knew their fate even then as he came under pressure.
"The ground was very slow and he hated it," reported Ulundi's rider Dean Gallagher.
But on his favourite track and on top form, Ansar proceeded to pick up the big pot he came so close to landing in last year's Chester Cup.
Some of the interest in the race was lost when Wednesday's Plate winner, Grimes, didn't get the chance to attempt an historic big race double. He was reported to be off-feed by the Christy Roche stable.
Instead it was another JP McManus owned runner, The Gatherer, who chased home Ansar but he came up three lengths short. His jockey, Norman Williamson, was later stood down until Saturday due to a recurrence of his ankle problems. Another McManus horse, Vivo, was third.
Weld put himself even further ahead of schedule to beat his best ever festival total of 10 when the veteran Celtic Lore made his second start in two days a winning one in the Smithwicks Handicap. Pat Smullen was at his strongest to keep Celtic Lore ahead of the fast-finishing Keeping The Faith and put Weld on the seven mark for the week.
Pat Hughes was out of luck with his four runners in the big race, but he had earlier picked up the three mile handicap with Akasian, who defied topweight in some style under a patient Charlie Swan ride. The winner is set to appear again on Sunday in a Beginners Chase.
Carina Bay overhauled Coq De Mirande in the novice chase, a situation accepted by rider Conor O'Dwyer in the closing stages. However, the favourite's jockey was severely cautioned by the stewards to be seen to be more determined in future.
