'He seems to be coming back' - Suprise Package keeps Peter Fahey's good Galway form going

Suprise Package and Darragh O'Keeffe jump to the front in the feature hurdle at CorkCredit: David Keane (racingpost.com/photos)

Trainer Peter Fahey had a terrific week at Galway, and the stable's good run continued when yard stalwart Suprise Package landed the 2m2½f conditions hurdle by four lengths from odds-on favourite Cash Back.

An impressive winner of last year's Imperial Cup at Sandown, the seven-year-old was having his third run back after an absence of more than a year, and his first outing over hurdles for 16 months.

Fahey is hopeful Suprise Package can get back to the level he showed in the spring of last year. He said: "The owner Paul Leech picked out this race for him a while back. The plan was to go to Leopardstown for a run on the Flat before coming here, but we gave him an extra run at Ballinrobe.

"He had a nasty injury, but seems to be coming back and hopefully he can come on again from that. He'll stay handicap hurdling for now, and maybe we can go for a Flat maiden towards the end of the season.

"He was very gross and took his two runs well – it takes a good bit of work to get the weight off him. It's safer to get runs into him on grass to get him fit rather than gallop him on the all-weather after the injuries he has had."

O'Keeffe, who rode Suprise Package to victory in a handicap hurdle at the 2021 Punchestown festival, was replacing Sam Ewing, who was taken for x-rays and assessment on a leg injury after a fall from the Gordon Elliott-trained Lucky Storm in the opener.

Ewing had only recently returned recently from a spell on the sidelines with a broken arm, and rode three winners at last week's Galway festival.

Other riders in the wars were Aidan Kelly and Gavin Brouder, who were both taken for x-ray and assessment on shoulder injuries.

Canny Quirke

Cian Quirke may have thought it was easy, but supporters of Ricky Langford may have had one or two different thoughts as the Philip Rothwell-trained nine-year-old battled his way to a short-head victory in the 2m1f handicap hurdle.

The winner, who was recording his sixth career victory, travelled into the race easily but had to dig deep on the run to the line to see off the renewed effort of runner-up Sequoiaspirit. It was more evidence of how well Quirke has ben riding all summer, and indeed he now has a 100 per cent record on this horse, having won a handicap chase at Killarney on him last year.

Quirke said: "I cantered into it. I actually got pushed out a little bit turning in, which was no harm as I might have got there a bit soon. We missed the last but he still did it easy. He was a nice steer around. It's my second winner for Philip, both on this horse."

Read these next:

'There is plenty of improvement in him' - more to come from new 6-1 Melbourne Cup favourite Vauban says Casey

Jockey hit with 50-day ban for failing to pull up fatally injured horse at Galway on Sunday

Racing Post Members' Club: subscribe for just £9.99 this summer