The joint amateur champion Philip Fenton filled one of the few gaps in his riding CV when he guided Just Wondering to a gutsy triumph in the first day Galway feature, the GPT Handicap.
The £25,000 two mile race is an annual feature for amateur riders and although Fenton has previously won such valuable races as the Paddy Power Chase, last night's success meant a lot to him.
"You can have so many bumper winners but a winner like that is a bigger kick. It's been a few years since I was even placed in it," said Fenton.
It was clear as the field started the climb out of the dip that a place would be the least that Just Wondering would get as Fenton booted the John Muldoon trained four-year-old into what emerged as a decisive lead.
The English trained Christiansted, who had drifted in the betting, looked to be travelling ominously well in behind but under a vintage drive from Fenton, Just Wondering dug deeper to win by a length and a half.
It was also a sweet success for Kildare-based Muldoon who was saddling his fourth winner of the season and only his third at the Galway festival.
"It's a very difficult place to win but this is the biggest win of my career," said Muldoon who trains a string of 14, including Star Defector who finished sixth in the race.
"This horse is only just four and his future is over hurdles and fences as he is a half brother to General Idea. I'll take him home now and fire sugar at home for a couple of days!"
The favourite Rathbawn Prince could never get in a serious blow at the first two but stayed on well for third with the nicely supported Spokesman fourth.
Jockey James Nash, who rode Really Chuffed into seventh, was afterwards given a seven-day suspension for giving the horse an "injudicious ride". The Willie Mullins trained gelding raced at the rare of the field for most of the race but made up considerable ground in the straight to finish well.
Odds on backers were stung with the 4/7 Gordi in the opening maiden hurdle. The former Queens Vase winner dived at the sixth flight and almost fell and then repeated the trick at the second last. Richard Dunwoody went on to score on Colins Double, one of four horses trained under permit by Navan based Cathal McCarthy.
The odds on backers did however get their own back when the latest Ballydoyle juvenile to appear on the scene, Aristotle, justified 4/5 odds in some style after appearing to struggle in the dip.
Aristotle's rider Michael Kinane completed a double on the Martin Brassil trained Ciel D'or in the 12 furlong handicap.
