Galway Festival Report:  A 10-day fast by Kevin Coleman paid off in style in yesterday's William Hill Galway Plate as the 21-year-old jockey trumped the likes of Tony McCoy and Ruby Walsh with a rousing success on board the 12 to 1 winner Sir Frederick.

Coleman returned to a huge reception after holding off the outsider Ballyagran by three lengths with Cool Running in third and the gallant topweight Ansar running another Ballybrit blinder in fourth.

But something to eat might have been just as welcome.

When it became clear last week that Sir Frederick's regular jockey Davy Russell would be on board the favourite Conna Castle, Coleman gambled that getting his weight down by half a stone would get him the ride on Liam Burke's star seven-year-old.

"I can do 10st comfortably but I had to get it down to 9st 7lb," explained the Innishannon, Co Cork-born rider who was landing just the 42nd success of his career. "I gave myself 10 days so it wasn't too bad. The last 3lb are the hardest!"

Denial got its reward, however, as Coleman skilfully crept Sir Frederick from the back of the field to track Ballyagran over the last and then power clear. "It was a brilliant ride. I told him not to panic and to not hit the front too soon and that's what he did," said Burke, a renowned point-to-point trainer who was securing the biggest success of his own career.

"We were looking at the Plate and the Kerry National for this horse and it's great to win one of them. He could be an Irish Grand National horse next year."

Mallow based Burke has nurtured the fledgling careers of future stars of the likes of the Gold Cup placed Valley Henry and Gungadu, both of whom trained by Paul Nicholls.

The British champion trainer was represented by Hoo La Baloo who was going well when brought down by Baily Breeze at the ninth fence. That was the same obstacle where the 6 to 1 favourite, Conna Castle, made a bad mistake and Davy Russell had to watch his old mount win from a long way back. Afterwards a veterinary exam found Conna Castle to be clinically abnormal.

An all-Cork victory was completed by the winning Seven Heads syndicate who come from West Cork and after a famous expedition west of the Shannon, Sir Frederick's targets will turn south again."Tralee and the Kerry National," declared Burke whose best point-to-pointers usually end up being sold to more high-profile trainers. "Thank God this one wasn't sold!"

In contrast to Coleman, Andrew Leigh adopted trail-blazing tactics on board the favourite Dreamy Gent in the opening novice hurdle and although they paid off, his task was undeniably helped by the last flight falls of both Imperial Rose and I Don't Know.

The pair had closed a furlong-wide gap to about 12 lengths when they crashed out although Dreamy Gent's trainer, Jessica Harrington, said: "He was getting tired but he jumped the last well and I don't think they'd have caught him. It was a good ride by Andrew because that wasn't the plan at all."

Michael Kinane is one of the legendary names around Galway but Prospectorous's two-and-a-half length victory in the mile handicap was the former champion jockey's first festival winner for three years.

In contrast, JP Magnier added to last year's victory in the amateur maiden when The Ethiopian ran down Daramas in the closing stages to record a half length victory. "The horse in front was a good six or seven lengths ahead and I wasn't sure we'd catch him but in fairness to the horse he dug deep," said the rider of the winner who is a full brother to the double Derby and double Breeders' Cup winner High Chaparral.

Maria's Dream is in today's mile handicap and could yet attempt to follow up her narrow success yesterday where she arrived late to cut down Rising Force. "She was drawn badly, the plan went totally wrong and we still won so we will see how she is," said her trainer John Quinn.

Dermot Weld maintained his winner-a-day form as Princely Hero edged Mojito Royale by a head in the concluding maiden where the odds-on De la Grandera finished only third.

For the second day running there was a decrease in the attendance at the Galway festival with a Plate crowd of 25,492 down over three thousand on last year's corresponding figure.

However, there was a third day Tote record of €1,537,560 compared to €1,450,637 last year.

For the first time this week there was an increase in bookmaker turnover with an almost €80,000 increase to €3,834,524.

The featured Plate generated €656,130 and €620,040 was wagered on the concluding maiden.