John McIntyre

THE back-in-form yard of local trainer Paul Gilligan was on the mark at the Galway August Festival when the progressive and teak-tough One Cool Tornado ran out a comfortable winner of the Easyfix Rubber Products Novice Hurdle at Ballybrit on Saturday.

Successful in a maiden hurdle in Ballinrobe the previous Sunday, the five-year-old always held a prominent position behind the front-running Imperial Shabra and Andrew Lynch’s mount took it up after the last to win going away by three lengths, with the disappointing favourite, Liss Na Tintri, being pulled up by Ruby Walsh.

One Cool Tornado was turned out again 24 hours later by the Craughwell-based Gilligan in the Cunningham Higgins Mercedes Benz Hurdle, but not unexpectedly found the concession of 10lbs to the 133 rated Silverhand beyond him, finishing a gallant second to Noel Meade’s 1/3 chance.

Gilligan’s stable was strongly represented over the opening two days of the meeting which were all National Hunt cards, but he also had to settle for the runners-up spot in the featured Deacy & Associates Novice Chase on Saturday when Lady Hillingdon just lacked the stamina of well-backed market leader, Kilmurray.

A winner at the summer festival, Henry de Bromhead’s highly regarded sort travelled ominously well under Andrew Lynch, who was initiating a double on the card, and though Lady Hillingdon ranged up ominously on the climb to the winning post, Kilmurray was starting to pull away near the line.

There was controversy in the Anglo Printers Maiden Hurdle after a Stewards’ Enquiry demoted Magical Memoir from first place. Jessica Harrington’s 10/1 chance appeared to win strictly on merit by one and a half lengths from Days Ahead, especially as the runners up jockey Davy Russell went for a gap up the inside rail which, frankly, wasn’t there.

For more, read this week's Connacht Tribune.