Sylkie made a stunning comeback from last to first with a masterful ride from Colin Keane, securing her second course and distance win at Galway in the James P Cunningham Electrical Handicap.
After a 28/1 shock win at the festival last month, the Danny Howard-trained chestnut had finished fourth out of six at Tramore, beaten by just over a length.
Supported from 7/1 to 7/2 favourite this evening, Sylkie, rated 62, was kept in the rear by Keane and made significant progress on the outside approaching the straight. She chased down the leader in the final furlong and surged ahead with less than 50 yards remaining, winning by three-quarters of a length.
Eddie G, trained by Adrian McGuinness and priced at 5/1, was narrowly beaten, with the top two finishing three and a quarter lengths clear of Positive Energy (9/2) in third.
Howard reflected, "I was concerned the ground might have dried out too much, but Rory Cleary, who couldn’t ride her, reassured me it wouldn't be an issue. Colin gave her a superb ride."
He added, "We bought her out of a claimer for €10,000, which has proven to be a great investment. We have a few local lads involved, including some from Dublin. John Boland, who organized the syndicate, is on holiday but will be thrilled."
Howard also noted, "We’ve only had a few Flat runners and have five horses in training. We train on the beach and have our own gallop at home, and we're open to taking on more horses."