Galway report: Kevkat, trained by Eoin Griffin and ridden by Declan McDonogh, emerged victorious in the Guinness Handicap over a mile and a half at the Galway Festival yesterday evening.

The five-year-old gelding was always close to the brisk early pace set by Callow Lake and stormed past runner-up Le Leopard deep inside the final furlong to win by a neck at odds of 9 to 1.

Aidan O'Brien's well-backed 10 to 11 favourite Hitchcock ran into traffic problems when asked for maximum effort under Kieren Fallon, who had to be content with a staying-on third, a length and a quarter further in arrears.

The Charlie Swan-trained High Reef, who won this race last year, took fourth spot behind Kevkat, who was making his handicap bow having won a Wexford maiden on his last time out.

Griffin said: "He likes it fast and we'll probably keep going as long as he has his ground.

"There's a mile-and-six valuable handicap at Tralee later this month and that will now be the target."

Mark Prescott supplemented Spectait's victory in the totesport Mile at Goodwood earlier in the day with Elusive Dream's facile success in the St James's Gate Race.

McDonogh looked a picture of composure aboard the gelding and could have been called the winner a long way from home.

The jockey soon asserted full control on the proceedings and stretched clear to justify his short price with 14 lengths in hand from Peak Of Perfection.

McDonogh went onto complete a memorable treble after Kevin Prendergast's Rajeh came with a rattling late run to win the 1979 European Breeders Fund Maiden at odds of 4 to 1.