River in full flow for locals

CLOONE RIVER, second in the race a year earlier to Sabadilla, went one better when powering to victory in the Guinness Galway Hurdle at Ballybrit yesterday.

In doing so, trainer Paul Nolan followed Dermot Weld's example, proving there's a new way to train the winners of big races at this magnificent Festival.

The previous afternoon, Weld saddled Ansar to land the Plate. The horse had been prepared exclusively on the flat and hadn't jumped a fence in public since Galway a year earlier.