Summer Snow defies rise to follow up for Lawlor

Trainer Peter Lawlor enjoyed Galway festival success as Summer Snow got up late under Rory Cleary to land the caulfieldindustrial.com Handicap.

A facile winner at Down Royal recently, the grey had been hit with a 9lb hike for that success. However, the five-year-old mare remained a step ahead of the handicapper as she followed up here.

Pushed along to close entering the straight, Cleary produced the 8/1 chance to head Expound over 150 yards from home.

Staying on well to the line, the mare had a length to spare over the fast finishing Apache Outlaw with Expound back in third.

Peter Lawlor, training his first Galway winner, said: "You only dream of Galway festivals winners! I was confident of a good run but, being a restricted trainer, you can never be too confident being up against Willie Mullins and all the rest of them.

"I have my license for four years, my horses are running well and this mare has been tearing up the gallops at home. I knew we were in for a good run, but to win you can't expect it against the big guns.

"I had always been pre-training and breaking horses so gave away horses to everyone else. I then had too many and couldn't give them away, so I took out the license.

"I had been winning mostly with my own horses but Pat (Kelly, owner) gave this mare to me when she was rated 64 and she has won from 81 today. She is going through the ranks and this is brilliant."

Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes.