Galway Festival:Fit The Cove put up a tremendously gutsy display to land the feature Connacht Tribune Centenary Handicap on the final day of the Galway Festival.
Trained by Harry Rogers, who has been out of the limelight since Silent Oscar landed the ACC Bank Champion Hurdle in 2007, the nine-year-old battled back after being headed inside the final furlong.
Willie Supple was seen at his strongest on the gelding, sent off at 10-1 and having to shoulder a 6lb penalty for a win earlier in the week.
Ask Jack threw down a sustained challenge up the straight, and then Maundy Money emerged between the pair, but Supple forced his mount up to regain the lead on the line to win by a short head and a head.
"Fit The Cove is a real consistent horse," said Supple. "He's a great horse and easy to ride.
"I was headed for a stride but he battled back, he did the same the other day.
"He's tough and very genuine."
Dermot Weld won his eighth race of the Festival as Bobs Pride - another making his second appearance of the week - had no trouble in justifying even-money favouritism in the Galway Bay FM Beginners' Chase.
A classy performer on the level, he had finished third in a valuable event in that sphere on Tuesday.
Back over fences for only the second time in his career - he had fallen on his debut - Ruby Walsh never had an anxious moment on the seven-year-old.
Weld's son Mark said: "It has been the plan all year to come and win a race at Galway with Bobs Pride.
"He is basically a summer horse and may come back here for a race in September. Ruby said he travelled very well throughout the race and was impressed with him."
Sharadi (6-1), yet another who had been in action earlier at the Festival, comfortably landed the Easyfix Handicap Hurdleunder Mark Walsh.
Francis Flood's eight-year-old was third on Friday but came home four lengths clear of Moscow Mo Chuisle.
Francis Flood jnr said: "This is his second win of the year. He ran well here earlier in the week over a shorter trip. He certainly appreciated the extra distance today. We will probably run him in a similar race at Killarney later in the month."
John 'Shark' Hanlon produced a great training feat to get Darenjan (7-1) to win the Electronic Retail Security HandicapHurdle for the second successive year without a run in-between.
Paddy Flood did the steering on the six-year-old, who won by a length and a quarter.
"He has had a lot of little problems since his success in this race last year," said Hanlon.
"It has been the plan for quite some time to bring him back for this race. I walked the track at 8am this morning and knew the ground was perfect for him.
"The ground was not as suitable for many of my other runners during the week."