Last year’s winner Dream Walker saw off stable companion Baraweez to give trainer Brian Ellison with a fourth successive victory in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF “Ahonoora” Handicap on the final day of the Galway Festival.
Baraweez claimed back-to-back renewals of the €100,000 prize in 2014 and 2015 and was fifth behind Dream Walker 12 months ago.
“To come from last like he did is unreal
Both horses came into the seven-furlong contest in good form, with Dream Walker having been third and Baraweez sixth in Tuesday’s BMW Mile.
Tithonus, winner of both the Rockingham Handicap and the Scurry Handicap at the Curragh last month, led the field into the home straight, but he was soon swamped.
Ellison’s Be Kool hit the front in the final furlong, but he was claimed by his two stable-mates in the dying strides and it was 7-1 shot Dream Walker, who claimed top honours under a jubilant Chris Hayes.
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Baraweez was half a length away in second, with Be Kool rounding off a remarkable one-two-three for the Yorkshire-based trainer.
Canary Row was best of the Irish in fourth, just in front of 9-4 favourite Riven Light, who encountered traffic problems during his bid to complete the big-race double.
Ellison said: “Dream Walker just seems to come alive here.
“To come from last like he did is unreal. I honestly thought on better ground Baraweez would win, but probably the ground just found him out.
“It’s great for Baraweez to come back here four years in a row and Dream Walker has won it two years in a row.
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“It’s a matter of keeping them right and keeping their heads right.
“It’ll wreck my head thinking about what to do next year
“Dream Walker has run three or four times this year and never lifted a leg, but when he comes into form then he’s great. He obviously loves it here.”
The delighted Ellison added: “It’ll wreck my head thinking about what to do next year.
“I think Baraweez will come back for the race on Irish Champions Weekend he won three years ago, and ideally on good ground he’ll be a better horse.”
Willie Mullins said: “That’s a nice race for Arbre De Vie to open his account over fences.
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“He will probably go down the novice route and I’d imagine that Shaneshill will go for the Kerry National.
“Ruby did very well to stay on board Shaneshill, and it was a fair performance by rider and the horse not to fall. He was probably a shade unlucky not to win.”