The result in racecard order of last night's McDonogh Handicap reads one, two, three. If that suggests a certain symmetry and inevitability about Free To Speak's defeat of Thats Logic and Playacting then forget about it. This was a success for off-the-cuff ingenuity.

With top weight of 9-10, Free To Speak's price of 14 to 1 appeared beforehand to be right as punters plunged on the favourite Playacting. Dermot Weld's instructions to Michael Kinane were commensurately light-hearted as he harked back to Monday's late victory for Social Graces.

"I jokingly told Mick to do the same. Take his time and come late and fast. That was our only hope off 9-10," Weld said.

Kinane did take his chance to improvise. "I deliberately came wide up the straight because in the parade I noticed that there was a car track where the ground was real quick. I just thought that if I can get out there I'll get home alright," he declared.

Free To Speak was stone last at half-way as the 18-strong field were headed by Balla Sola and Master Cooper. In the dip, there was drama as Jimmy The Greek clipped heals and unseated his rider but on the turn in Playacting ranged up alongside Thats Logic and the script looked written.

Kinane hadn't read it, however. Free To Speak had almost 10 horses or so in front of him but he and Kinane made a beeline for the stands' rail and the race soon had a new leading player. Weakened by the early pace, Playacting faltered and the race was over.

The Weld-Kinane team brought their festival total to three when Musical Mayhem justified his trainer's pre-race confidence with a smooth defeat of Bootlegger in the concluding two-mile handicap. Musical Mayhem also had top weight, but there were no late show dramatics here as Kinane sent him to the front in the straight and the issue was settled.

Another Galway specialist to hit the mark was Noel Meade, who saddled a double with Midnight Lover in the seven-furlong handicap and Rashay in the seven-furlong maiden.

The leading jockey, John Murtagh followed the Kinane tactic of coming over to the rail on Midnight Lover, who easily accounted for Willyever. But Rashay and Eddie Ahern had to work hard to overhaul the pacesetting Lady's Heart by two and a half lengths.

Sunspangled, a half sister to French Ballerina, sprang something of a surprise by taking the fillies' maiden on her debut, seeing off the renewed challenge of the joint favourite St Clair Ridge by a neck.