Coeur D'or takes timely win in Galway Festival feature

Coeur D'or swooped late to claim a head verdict in the featured Colm Quinn BMW Mile Handicap on day two of the Galway Festival.

Trained by Dermot Weld and ridden by Chris Hayes, Coeur D'or was a winner on his penultimate run at Leopardstown, but he was allowed to go off a 14-1 shot in the handicap highlight.

The 18-runner contest proved typically competitive and it looked as though Dunum was going to take the win two furlongs out, only for No More Porter to battle his way to the front inside the distance.

However, Hayes had launched Coeur D'or down the outside and he grabbed the lead in the shadow of the post to take the prize in a photo, with Dunum a further three-quarters of a length back in third.

Coeur D'or provided his owners Mark Phelan and Stephen O'Connor with a winner from their first runner at Galway, while his trainer Dermot Weld has been farming races at the meeting for decades and has saddled over 500 winners at Ballybrit. #GalwayRaces pic.twitter.com/yF2oHnzSE5

Weld said: "He is a very consistent horse, this was the plan and he delivered. He had been running very consistently all year and is a brave horse.

"I was worried about the ground as he is very effective on a slightly quicker surface. A mile is his trip but he was a very immature horse in his early days and took a long time to come to hand but patience paid dividends.

"He has two great owners in Stephen O'Connor and Mark Phelan and I'm delighted for them."

Chris Hayes reflects on the performance of his willing partner Coeur D'or in the Colm Quinn BMW Mile Handicap at Galway. #GalwayRaces pic.twitter.com/TAAYPMcjan

Sharjah (1-4F) returned to the scene of one of his finest hours to make a seamless transition to fences in the Latin Quarter Beginners Chase.

Winner