Bargain buy Hewick survived the unwanted attentions of a loose horse and the late thrust of Darasso to triumph in the Tote Galway Plate for trainer Shark Hanlon and jockey Jordan Gainford.
Exelerator Express and Sam Twiston-Davies parted company in the early stages of the race, but the British raider ensured a dramatic finish as he carried Hewick to the far rail in the closing stages.
However, 16-1 shot Hewick, who was bought for just €850, had enough up his sleeve to hold off the late rally of the Joseph O'Brien-trained Darasso.
Always close to the pace in the two-mile-six-furlong feature, the seven-year-old Hewick was left in front and travelling smoothly following the fall of longtime leader Fire Attack.
Having fended off the challenge of favourite El Barra and the in-form Ash Tree Meadow when kicking on off the home bend, victory looked a formality.
The riderless Exelerator Express had other ideas, but Gainford kept his cool and ensured Hewick held on by half a length from Darasso, who was flying home in splendid isolation on the stands' side.
Hewick, bought for £850 and trainer by John "Shark" Hanlon wins the Galway Plate, just holding off Darasso to land the feature at Ballybrit. #RTEracing pic.twitter.com/nc35Ok9YTd
— RTÉ Racing (@RTEracing) July 27, 2022
The victory brought up back-to-back victories over fences for Hewick, who was a winner of Sandown's bet365 Gold Cup Handicap Chase in the spring and it advertised his tremendous versatility to drop back in trip almost a mile to land the €159,300 first prize.
Hanlon said: "He is a great horse, is very easy to train and it is great for the team at home as he is our star.
"Our game has gone very tough with the price of feed and everything, and we are a small yard. It is getting harder every day and to win this is unreal.
"My mother and father haven’t been racing for three years, I am coming here all my life so it is great for everyone. This and the Kerry National, I have both won and we’ll head back to Kerry with him now.
"He came from the sales in Goresbridge for €800. I met this horse coming in the back gate with a lovely walk and Paddy Mullins had said to me years ago 'if a horse can’t walk, he can’t run'. I went there to buy another horse and live only five minutes from the sales company so went home for grub, but was thinking about him and went back down and bought him.
"It has been a dream since there as he was unlucky to fall in his point to points, and otherwise would have been sold."
Watch the Galway Races on Thursday from 2.30pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player.
