A double at Galway tonight brought Dermot Weld another step closer to a place in the record books as Ansar and Francis Bay secured contrastingly comfortable successes.
The master of Rosewell House now needs just two to break the record for number of winners trained in Ireland, held by JJ Parkinson who retired in 1947.
The first leg of the double saw racegoers treated to Paul Carberry at his very best as the super confident jockey toyed with runner-up River Cora all the way up the straight when steering Francis Bay to an extremely cheeky neck success.
Carberry sat motionless aboard the 3/1 joint-favourite as Norman Williamson went for everything on the runner-up - cruising up to dispute the lead turning for home and letting his mount pull his way to the lead close home.
'I've never seen a ride with more confidence. I've nothing else to add to that. Everybody seen it for themselves it was just a brilliant ride.' said Weld, who had clearly enjoyed the display asmuch as the crowd.
'This horse has won here three years in a row now. He'll come back next year for the Plate again (finished 7th on Wednesday) provided we are lucky with him and if he stays sound.'
Ansar justified his odds of 4/6 in the closing Guinness Extra Cold Race and Weld again praised the tactics of winning jockey Pat Smullen who kicked for home half-a-mile out on the winner and came home four-lengths clear of Morning Breeze.
'I've had two riders ride beautifully for me today.'
Weld outlined plans to mix it on the Flat and over hurdles with the four-year-old and thinks he can win a nice handicap over hurdles if he stays low enough in the weights.
'He's not a big horse but has a touch of class. He jumps for fun and hopefully we'll have many happy days with him.'
Pat Hughes is becoming a bit of an expert at landing large pots at Galway and he struck gold again tonight when Grinkov landed the £25,000 Guinness Extra Stout Handicap.
The trainer claimed the opening night highlight when Gamekeeper took the £40,000 GPT Handicap and moved on to three for the week when Fran Berry steered Grinkov to a two-length success in the mile-and-a-half contest at 11/2.
The eventual winner was set well off the pace early as Chimes At Midnight cut out the running. Benfica took it up with five furlongs to run and Gordon Power kicked for home three out on the Harry Rogers gelding.
Their advantage lasted until the turn when McCracken, who had made ground on the rail from two furlongs out, hit the front. He had no answer to the powerful surge of Grinkov however as Fran Berry produced his mount on the outside to lead inside the final 150 yards.
'The mile-and-a-half was no problem to him. The low draw helped. There is not much interference out there.' explained Hughes afterwards.
'He's needs a fair ease in the ground. He's in a maiden hurdle here on Sunday and we'll keep him here and see. It's likely he'll run given the recent rain.'
The opening Budweiser QR Handicap Hurdle saw one of the closest finishes of the week with Shereevagh (10/1) running on strongly to just grab Rith Dubh on the line.
Rith Dubh had looked set for an easy success as he loomed on the outside turning in but trainer Christy Roche himself admits that the gelding 'doesn't give much off the bridle' and he just lost out in the closing stages.
Winning trainer Tom McCourt, who bought Shereevagh at the Goffs November Sales in 1998 for only 5,500, was realising something of a family ambition.
'My father always kept a few horses and tried for years to get a winner at Galway - but never did.' revealed McCourt. There was a sting in the tail for winning jockey Peter Casey who picked up a three-day whip ban for excessive force and frequency. Casey will sit out the 13th, 14th and 15th of August.
Even-money shot Rostropovich justified his skimpy odds in the Smithwicks Maiden but the son of Sadler's Wells was made to fight all the way to gain his brackets.
A slipped saddle saw Eddie Ahern shoot into the lead after half a mile aboard Mythical Nature but the pair came back to the field four furlongs out with Circus Maximus taking them to the turn.
Rostropovich and Mick Kinane moved well around the outside to deliver their challenge turning for home but the pair were made to fight all the way to the line to record a three-quarter length victory over Cymbeline, who stayed on well for Warren O'Connor against the rail.
11/10 favourite Galanta made a winning debut in the Carlsberg Maiden despite running greenly when asked to stretch by Kevin Manning turning into the straight.
The colt had to pull out all the stops to hold the renewed challenge of Langkawi Island by a neck with three-parts-of-a-length back to Wayfarer in third.
Winning trainer Jim Bolger handled both the sire and dam of the winner, Desert Style and Penka, and has the £200,000 Tattersalls Breeders Stakes at the Curragh as an option for the juvenile.
Markskeepingfaith (8/1) emerged best from a bunch finish to the Harp Lager Handicap - scoring by a head and the same from Golden Fact and Molly-O.
The race was fought out close home by the horses on the stand rail as long-time leader Willyever folded inside the final furlong.
