RACING:CLARE GLEN provided trainer Sarah Dawson with the biggest win of her career as she landed the Guinness Handicap, the feature event of the fifth day of the Galway Festival.

The five-year-old was sent off a 14 to 1 shot in the hands of Séamie Heffernan and the rider had to work hard to secure the spoils.

Heffernan settled in behind as Leceile and Reggae Rock set the early pace but that pair were backpedalling as the field turned for home in the 12-furlong heat.

That opened the door for a thrilling finish as Clare Glen swooped down the outside to challenge Jumbo Rio, with the pair virtually stride for stride in the final furlong. Heffernan just managed to conjure the necessary extra from Dawson’s charge though, gaining the verdict by a head with Celendine third and Flowers Of Spring fourth.

Dermot Weld smashed his own record for winners at the Festival as he saddled his 12th winner of the week courtesy of Rainforest Magic. The 5 to 4 favourite struck on the level at Ballybrit on Tuesday and he enhanced his tally with a bloodless four-and-a-half-length success in the Guinness (Q.R) Handicap Hurdle.

Weld moved on to 13 later in the evening but had to suffer two narrow reversals first, with 7 to 4 favourite Harangue finishing a short-head adrift of Sam Bass (100 to 30) in the Budweiser Index EBF Maiden.

Then Along Came Casey (6 to 4 favourite) was badly hampered in the early stages of the Arthur Guinness Handicap and recovered to take second behind 25 to 1 shot Cash Or Casualty. It was down to 5 to 4 favourite Address Unknown to maintain Weld’s domination of the meeting in the Guinness Race, with Smullen keeping just enough up his sleeve to hold on from Fleur De Nuit. “I’m very pleased for all concerned at Rosewell House. We have 80 staff and there are a lot of people in the background that do an awful lot of work,” Weld said afterwards.