Winning Galway return for Barry Geraghty

Meath jockey Barry Geraghty returned to action with the opening winner at the Galway Festival this evening. 

Geraghty missed the Cheltenham Festival due to injuries sustained in a fall at Kempton in February, but he returned to action for Aintree and then sustained an injury at the Fairyhouse Easter Festival.

This evening at Galway he got back to action on a winning note when he partnered Le Richebourg to victory for his boss JP McManus and trainer Joseph O'Brien in the opening novice hurdle.

He  was having his first ride back since Easter and overhauled the Andrew Lynch-partnered Twobeelucky despite making a mistake two out.

Moynalty jockey Declan McDonogh took the first flat race of the Festival when partnering the Andrew Slattery-trained Spiorad Saoirse to victory in the two-year-old maiden to win by a short head from the Sheila Lavery-trained Quizical.

Willie Mullins landed the opening night feature, the big amateur handicap with Whiskey Sour, formerly trained by Eddie Lynam on the flat.