NOBODY can recollect it ever being done at Ballybrit before as local trainers took the opening card of the Galway September meeting by storm on Monday.

Paul Gilligan got the ball rolling in the opening maiden hurdle before fellow Galway trainers Norman Lee and Iggy Madden also visited the winners’ enclosure.

Three local trainers being successful on the same Galway card is undoubtedly a unique achievement on a day when high-class hurdler Jesse Evans got off the mark over fences.

Craughwell-based Paul Gilligan combined with his son Jack to take the Kenny Developments Maiden with the always prominent 12/1 shot Itsalladream.

Having got worked up before the start and dumping Jack Gilligan, the five-year-old was on its best behaviour during the race itself, taking up the running on the back straight, jumping cleanly and having enough in reserve to hold off the late challenge of the well-supported Oh So Charming.

A chaser in the making, Paul Giligan was delighted to strike at his home track. “Our eldest lad Liam found this horse from Wexford and he recommended us to buy him, as he had some okay point-to-point form.

“He isn’t the easiest, is tricky and at the start he dropped Jack. Our lads do a great job with him at home, though, and Liam rides him out. He wears the hood as he gets too lit up and getting him from the parade ring to the start is the hard part.

“In the race he is grand, it was a super ride by Jack and hopefully he will progress now. We won’t get too excited with today; it was great to win here and he is a fine big horse who is a right chaser in the making.”

The Gilligan father and son team would have had high hopes of completing a double in the featured Deacy Gilligan Hurdle, especially as the field cut up to just three runners.

Stepping Kings Hill up in trip, the five-year-old grey was giving an exhibition round of jumping   until the second last, allowing the market leader and summer festival winner, The Wallpark, to seize the initiative.

Two years ago, at the same meeting and in the same race, Oskar High came up trumps for Gort trainer Norman Lee and the veteran attracted significant support in attempting a repeat win, albeit on much quicker ground.

Shane O’Callaghan immediately took the 11-year-old to the front in the first division of the Galway Handicap Hurdle and Oskar High battled on bravely to deny the strong finishing market leader, West Clare, despite wandering towards the stand side rails after the last.

“Today was the plan for a while and it is great when it works. He is a grand little horse, and it was a great ride by Shane. He drifted to the stands’ side, but it was good riding by Shane as he left him roll along.

“I was afraid the ground was getting a bit dry for him, but he is an honest little horse and is a credit to everyone,” said a delighted Lee afterwards.

The Galway treble was brought up by Iggy Madden who made headlines at the summer festival when springing a 200/1 shock with Brave Crogha in the Ladies Day bumper.

Madden had form students again scratching their heads as Max Time, who was never even placed in his previous 21 runs, came home strongly to deny the John Earls’ owned Hees Dynamite in the second division of the Galway Handicap Hurdle.

Returned at 15/2 having been 50/1 the previous night, somebody knew that Max Time had turned a corner. “We had to give him a few schools as it was his first run back and I knew he’d run well. I hate telling people to back my horses as when they run badly, you get this rubbish about ‘he’s no good, that horse’.

“A lot of fellas seemed to be in a hurry today; where did the money go – 33/1!? Who was gambling him? It wasn’t me,” said Madden.

The second day of the Galway September meeting was an all-flat card and saw 5/1 shot Beechwood from the Paddy Twomey run out a decisive winner of the featured Ardilaun Hotel Oyster Stakes under jockey Billy Lee.

Pictured: Trainer Iggy Madden with jockey Shane Fitzgerald and groom Mike Fahy after Max Time won the Galway Handicap Hurdle (Division 2) at Ballybrit on Monday.