'We might look at the Irish Cesarewitch now' - more big pots on the way as Eagle's Way battles to victory in Galway feature

The feature Guinness Handicap threw up the latest in a series of thrilling finishes on the night as the Bill Durkan-trained Eagle's Way under Chris Hayes got the better of a terrific struggle with Chally Chute, a struggle which lasted the length of the straight. Hayes just managed to keep Ronan Whelan on the runner-up at bay by a diminishing short head.

Durkan's assistant trainer Gary Bannon said: "We always liked him. We thought we would win over hurdles the first day but he kicked every hurdle out of the ground and we decided to go back to the Flat.

"We prepped him for this at Bellewstown and he won quite well, and Chris said tonight that he just idled all the way up the straight, so there is more to come from him.

"This will mean everything to Bill. I think the last winner he had here was when Quinmaster won the Galway Mile in 2006. It's great for a small yard to pick up a big pot like that.

"He's good and tough and we might look at the Irish Cesarewitch now. I think he will stay."

O'Sullivan on the crest of a wave

The astonishing run of Ross O'Sullivan continued as he recorded his sixth straight win in Ireland and fourth of the Galway festival when the local Downtown Syndicate's Volantis earned a very narrow victory in the opening handicap hurdle in the hands of Keith Donoghue.

Second in the race last year, the son of Workforce needed every yard of the journey to get his head in front on the run to the line, winning a head-bobber from the Willie Mullins-trained Tounsivator.

It was O'Sullivan's only runner of the night, and his last one of the week will be for the same owners when Bythesametoken runs in a handicap hurdle on Sunday.

O'Sullivan might have been feeling the pressure a little, as he identified this horse as his best chance of a winner at the festival when asked earlier in the week.

He said: "It's a relief. When all the others won, I was thinking this was the one that was going to get beat! He needs to settle and he needs cover and that can be hard around here.

"He's classy and quick over his hurdles. This is his ideal trip. The plan was to come back for this race; it's not often that it works out but it's great when it does.

"The plan last year was to go to Cheltenham in October and November, but he got injured. We might skip Listowel this year and go to Cheltenham instead."

Asked about the form of his horses, he said: "It's hard to explain. The horses are just alive, they're are on the crest of a wave. It won't last forever but long may it last."

Doyen rolls back years

Winning days seemed to be over for the 11-year-old Battleoverdoyen, but not for the first time the hill at Ballybrit brought out the best in him as he recorded a very narrow success in the Guinness Galway Blazers Handicap Chase.

One of the biggest horses in training, he was stoked up from a long way out by Danny Gilligan and he battled on strongly to get the better of Moonovercloon by a nose.

The veteran's trainer Gordon Elliott said: "I've had him since he was four or five. He's a Grade 1 winner and he has been the horse of a lifetime for me. He was rated 160 at his best and he's down to 123 now, but to come back and win for the lads here today is fantastic."

There was a big sting in the tail though for Danny Gilligan and the runner-up's rider James Smith, both of whom were hit with eight-day bans for misuse of the whip.

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