THE FICKLE nature of luck was stamped all over last evening's Tote Galway Mile as Celtic Dane finally landed the second day festival feature that he had threatened to win in 2007.

Kevin Prendergast's horse enjoyed no luck in running last year when fifth to Incline but this time it was the turn of She's Our Mark to endure a nightmare passage that saw her come up a length and three quarters short at the line.

That could be directly linked to the start where She's Our Mark stumbled on leaving the stalls which caused her to lose no more than a length. However, as Celtic Dane discovered 12 months previously such small margins can make all the difference in an ultra-competitive €160,000 handicap around a tight track like Ballybrit.

"He was a little unfortunate in last year's race but this time he felt great going to the start, jumped really well and we followed the right horses. He did it great," reported Celtic Dane's rider Chris Hayes.

It was a first win in the race for the former triple-champion apprentice who's still only 20 but Prendergast was adding to a long pedigree in the race when it was known as the McDonogh. The veteran Curragh trainer won it in 1972 with Ryker, then in 1990 with Mudarris and also with Eklin in 2003.

For She's Our Mark's trainer Pat Flynn there was only the frustration of watching the Group Three-winning mare only just fail to recover from the start despite also having to cope with a bad piece of interference from the English raider Bolodenka on the turn-in. "She fell out of the stalls. That's what happened. And then we got cut off. She had no luck at all," he said.

Heavy showers resulted in the going on the flat track changing from "good" to "yielding to soft" following the third race, the two-mile handicap, which was won by the Galway specialist, My Valley.

Pat Fahy's ultra-tough mare was winning for the fourth time around Ballybrit and it was an especially welcome winner for jockey Shane Gorey who made most of the running on My Valley.

Gorey was enjoying his first winner since recently returning to action after a bad leg break at Leopardstown last October.

He drove My Valley seven lengths clear of Mountain Snow to repeat the 2007 "exacta" in this race.

"We will keep her at it this week," said Fahy who has the mare in a number of hurdle races. "She really started to sparkle two weeks ago and that's what you need coming here."

Ruby Walsh warmed up for his Galway Plate ride today on Oslot with a second success of the festival in the conditions chase on board Reisk Superman.

Tony Martin's horse has been called names in the past when flattering to deceive but Reisk Superman was on his best behaviour yesterday and went 10 lengths clear of Keys Pride on the run in.

"He has always been capable of one like that. He's a very good horse on his day with loads of ability. Two years ago I thought he'd win the Galway Hurdle. But this is the first time he's produced it like that," said Martin. He added: "It all depends on keeping him fresh and if he is in the right humour. I thought today the rain might be enough to stop him - but it had the opposite effect!"

Jawad's jockey John Cullen got a seven-day ban from the stewards for "improper riding" in this race after an incident before the second last that resulted in One More Minute running out.

Ruby Walsh had to settle for third on the favourite Noble Crusader in the maiden hurdle behind the 10 to 1 winner Winterdown Star. Despite his price, trainer Michael O'Brien's spokesman, Denis Cullen, said: "We were pretty sweet on him and Tom (Ryan) gave him a great ride."

Favourite backers never had a moment's worry in the seven-furlong fillies maiden as the odds-on Rare Ransom made all the running to secure Pat Smullen and Dermot Weld the first leg of a double. "She was fit, knew her job and ran like I expected," Weld said. "I will talk with Lady O'Reilly (owner) and discuss which Stakes race we will go to with her next."

Weld made it six for the two days so far when Award Ceremony bolted up in the concluding maiden, running nine lengths clear of Keyala who had no answer to the Rosewell House favourite.

Maundy Money might have had topweight of 10st in the seven-furlong handicap but that proved no obstacle to Colm O'Donoghue's mount running clear of Billy Dane in the closing stages.