Globetrotting gelding Sabadilla landed a surprise win in the Eur170,000Guinness Handicap Hurdle at the Galway Festival this afternoon.
In a 24-runner race that generated a national record for Tote turnover ofEur392,095, 14-1 shot Sabadilla got up close home to land the winner's prizein the hands of his trainer Pat Verling.
Sabadilla has taken a lengthy route to his current home after starting outlife with John Gosden, landing the 1997 November Handicap at Doncaster, beforeswitching to the Godolphin yard of Saeed bin Suroor.
The son of Sadler's Wells could manage only one win in Dubai though and hereturned to Martin Bosley's yard in England last year.
Eventually bought on behalf of Cork businessman Billy Coleman for little morethan Eur10,000, Sabadilla looked in trouble after the final flight when trapped onthe inner as the spoils looked like going instead to Timmy Murphy on ClooneRiver (8-1).
But Verling changed his hands on the nine-year-old, got a run through behindthe leader and flashed to the front to prevail by three-quarters of a length.
Quadco was a first-hurdle casualty, doing no favours to the heavily-backedfavourite Puck Out or indeed the eventual third Lafayette whose jockey ShayBarry reported that he had to jump the fallen Quadco on landing.
Another Cork rider to figure among the big-race winners was Norman Williamsonwho doubled up in successive races aboard Golden Row (7-1) and Patrizio (3-1) tomaintain his excellent strike rate at the meeting over the years.
Golden Row bounced back to form for the Edward O'Grady stable as Williamsonrode a patient race in the Carlsberg Lager Novice Chase, only sending his mountto the front inside the final furlong to defeat Say Again who had won theGuinness Hurdle on the corresponding day last year.
Patrizio made it four wins in a row over timber when defying top weight forWilliamson and Kilkenny trainer Eoin Griffin in the St James's Gate NoviceHurdle.
Williamson sent Patrizio clear for a runaway success on the climb to the postbut favourite Lowlander was a big disappointment for trainer Dermot Weld andcould finish only seventh.
PA