Saltonstall surges home to secure Mile glory for Keane and McGuinness

Saltonstall grabbed the limelight and put trainer Ado McGuinness on the big race scoreboard at the Galway festival when landing the Colm Quinn BMW Mile Premier Handicap under Colin Keane.

Formerly owned by Godolphin, the winner was bought by Stephen Thorpe, assistant to McGuinness, for €44,000 at Goffs in November. This lucrative victory was his first for McGuinness and owners James, David and Mark Dooley from Manchester and Bart O'Sullivan, who sponsors McGuinness's Co Dublin yard.

McGuinness said: "This was the plan and the owners were keen to come here. He had bled a couple of times but we decided to take a chance on him aand bought him. It's paid off big time."

Saltonstall, a 9-1 shot, is likely to return to Galway on Sunday for a tilt at the seven furlong Ahonoora Handicap.

Colin Keane and Ado McGuinness with Saltonstall and connections after their Colm Quinn BMW Mile triumphCredit: Patrick McCann

It was a second win in the race for Keane, who was also completing a double on the night. He recently credited his 2013 triumph aboard Brendan Brackan for helping to ignite his career, and this one took him seven clear of Donnacha O'Brien in his quest for a second jockeys' championsip.

"It's been a while since we did it with Brendan Brackan so it's nice to get that pot again," he said.

"Saltonstall actually won snug enough in the end. I got a great run around and followed Leigh Roche [on runner-up Innamorare] the whole way, He brought me to the top of the hill and when I gave him a squeeze he went away and did it well.

"He has probably been promising to do it for a while and on his last Curragh run he looked like a lad who was coming back to himself. He didn't get the clearest of runs there but it all worked out for him, so it's great for Ado and all the connections."

Quizical finished well to be beaten a head for third with the Mark Johnston-trained Rufus King a length and a half back in fourth.

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