Golden run for McManus and Walsh continues as gutsy Glan lands €100,000 feature

Saturday: Fairyhouse

After a sparkling Aintree at which he bagged five Grade 1s as the meeting's leading owner, JP McManus made it a hat-trick of wins in the €100,000 RYBO Handicap Hurdle at Fairyhouse as the gutsy Glan struck for trainer Gordon Elliott.

It had been 14 months since winning jockey Mark Walsh last got down to 10st 3lb or lower for a domestic ride and the leading rider made his efforts count aboard the 4-1 shot.

A trio of mares came to the fore in the 17-runner event, with the winner progressing nicely from her fifth behind Party Central at the Dublin Racing Festival.

Glan (nearside): pulled out all the stops to land the RYBO Handicap HurdleCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

Elliott was winning the Grade A prize for the first time, having rattled the crossbar with second-placed Veinard and Yaha Fizz in 2017 and 2018, while the Cullentra team also filled the runner-up spot with Magic Tricks 12 months ago.

"Mark gave her a lovely ride," said Elliott. "We've gone close in this race a few times over the years without winning it so it's great to get this. She's a nice mare."

Persistence pays off for Family

There were joyous scenes in the winner's enclosure after consistent grey Echoes Of Family lunged late to foil the well-supported I'll Be That Lady in an action-packed BoyleSports Mares' Chase.

It was a breakthrough win at the 22nd time of asking under rules for the ten-year-old scorer, who is trained by Eddie and Patrick Harty.

Patrick Harty said: "I don't know if I've ever got more of a kick out of any winner. She's the first horse to run in my own name.

Echoes In Family: belatedly off the mark at the age of tenCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

"Brian Whelan is our sponsor, Bermingham Cameras, and when he got involved in sponsoring the yard he was keen to find something to have a racing interest in for himself and the family.

"I told him this mare was consistent and we'd knock a bit of sport out of her. For Brian's sponsored jockey Mike O'Connor to ride her at the Irish National meeting in my own colours means a lot."

'Unreal' Townend lands Ladies National

Jody Townend has been riding out of her skin this season and the talented amateur enhanced her excellent strike-rate with a win in the Fred Kenny Lifetime Services To Racing Ladies National aboard Fox Watch, trained by Tony Mullins.

It was Townend's 23rd winner of the campaign, scoring on one in three of her rides to a level-stakes profit of €83.12.

Mullins said: "She's won a Ladies Derby for us on Princess Zoe and now this – she's just an unreal rider."

Kennedy is super sub aboard Bugs Moran

Noel Meade has a solid BoyleSports Irish Grand National team to look forward to on Monday and started the Fairyhouse festival with a bang as Bugs Moran plundered the €50,000 INH Stallion Owners EBF Novice Handicap Hurdle Series Final.

Jack Kennedy was deputising for Sean Flanagan, who was said to be sore after a final-fence fall from She's Commanche earlier on the card.

Fairyhouse on weather watch

Watering commenced after racing at Fairyhouse after a dry day on Saturday, with rain not expected until Sunday afternoon.

Results, replays and analysis

Read more Saturday reports:

Perfect by name and by nature? Guineas decision on hold for Richard Fahey star

Chaotic finish sees one crash through wing, another unseat and an 80-1 winner

'Long may it continue' - red-hot William Buick lands fourth Group race of week

'Can you really see him winning a Guineas?' - Tom Segal joins our panel

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