Sparkling Sharjah makes it a magic day for Patrick and Willie Mullins

Patrick Mullins became the first amateur rider since 1991 to land the Guinness Galway Hurdle – Ireland's most valuable hurdle race – when partnering Sharjah to victory.

Carrying top weight and coming home a third winner of the race for trainer Willie Mullins, Sharjah won from stablemate Blazer, with British raiders Leoncavallo and Bedrock third and fourth, half a length and three and a quarter lengths behind the runner-up.

Mullins, who ran six in the race, including 9-2 favourite Whiskey Sour (seventh), first won the race with Mystical City in 1996 and did so again with Clondaw Warrior two years ago.

The winning rider came to the festival hoping to land the big amateurs' handicap on the opening day for the first time but had to settle for second on Limini.

He said: "I'll try again to win the amateurs' race here but to win a Galway Hurdle is very special. Sharjah jumped brilliantly, was always travelling, and it couldn't have worked out any better.

"This certainly made up for when I rode Sharjah at Christmas when we should have won the Grade 1 hurdle [Future Champion Novice Hurdle] but came down at the last."

Mullins was matching the achievement of Philip Fenton, who won the Galway Hurdle as an amateur on Sagaman 27 years ago.

That's my boy! Top amateur Patrick Mullins gives Sharjah a grateful pat after victory in the Galway HurdleCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

Trainer father paid tribute to rider son, with Willie Mullins saying: "His huge commitment and dedication is amazing for a man of his size and weight. I'm delighted for him. He's in a different league compared to me when I was riding many years ago, that's for sure.

"He was unlucky at Leopardstown in December, but when you lose out on one like that there's always a nice one further down the road and this was his day."

He added: "I considered running Sharjah on the Flat this summer but wasn't happy with his rating. We might have to have a rethink now but we might also consider going the Champion Hurdle route, although he'll need to improve for that to become a realistic option."

The champion trainer continued: "I thought Sharjah was in trouble halfway down the back straight and, going to the second-last, I was concentrating on two of our other runners, Blazer and Good Thyne Tara. I thought they were going better than the winner.

"But Mark Walsh said Blazer landed on all fours at the last, which didn't help, and Sharjah jumped it better and stayed on strongly on the run-in."

Sharjah's win, carrying 11st 7lb – the highest winning weight since Quinze with 11st 12lb for Pat Hughes and Richard Dunwoody in 1999 – was his trainer's third feature-race success of the week after Uradel on Monday and Riven Light on Tuesday, and the final leg of a Thursday treble following the victories of Minella Beau and Calie Du Mesnil.

The success was owners Rich and Susannah Ricci's first in the prestigious handicap, worth €300,000 and with a first prize of €177,000. Their Max Dynamite could finish only 11th, with Ruby Walsh reporting the eight-year-old did not handle the soft ground.

Runner-up Blazer fared best of owner JP McManus's nine runners in his quest to win the race for the third time.

Guinness Galway Hurdle, replay, result and analysis

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