By John McIntyre at Ballybrit

THE emperor strikes back. For over three decades Dermot Weld strode like a colossus around Ballybrit, mopping up the annual trainers’ championship thanks to a phenomenal strike rate at the track.

Those days are long gone – he had only a solitary winner at last year’s festival – but Weld is not resigned to becoming a bit player at Ballybrit as evidenced by his fortunes on Tuesday evening.

For the Curragh-based trainer came within a neck of pulling off a spectacular treble. Weld’s two-year-old debutant Tannola was nabbed on the line in the Colm Quinn BMW Fillies Maiden, but big compensation was quick at hand.

Coeur D’or was a 14/1 chance for the featured Colm Quinn BMW Mile and though having a wall of horses still to negotiate around the home turn and forced to go wide, Chris Hayes’ mount tackled the hill with relish, edging out No More Porter – one of a seven-prong challenge for trainer Ado McGuinness – on the line.

Weld went on to complete the double when Livio Milo finally got his head in front at the seventh attempt when surviving the late charge of the well-supported Nelda in the Caulfield Industrial Maiden.

The former King of Ballybrit still nursed regrets, however, over Tannola just failing to emulate the stable’s triple Group One winner Tahiyra in the fillies’ maiden, succuming to the fast-finishing challenge of 5/2 favourite Purple Lily from the in-form Paddy Twomey yard.

Pictured: David O’Connor, General Manager of the Connacht Hotel, presents the trophy to Annette Mee, owner of Teed Up, after winning the Connacht Hotel Handicap at the Galway Summer Festival. Anthony Ryan, Chairman, Galway Race Committee, presents the trainer’s trophy Emmett Mullins. Also in photo are, Denise Mee and Ray Barron, jockey.