Limini had to make do with minor honours for the second time at this year’s Galway Festival as stable companion Nessun Dorma claimed victory in Friday’s Guinness Handicap.
A former Cheltenham Festival winner for Willie Mullins, Limini was the choice of the trainer’s son, Patrick, in Monday evening’s Connacht Hotel (Q.R.) Handicap and looked the likely winner until being mowed down late by another stablemate in Uradel.
Limini was all the rage to go one better just four days later in another 100,000 contest, but try as she might, she could never quite get on terms with the leaders under Kevin Manning and this time passed the post third.
Fresh from a first win on the Flat at Ballinrobe last month, 14-1 shot Nessun Dorma set out to make all the running in the hands of Billy Lee and while Princess Yaiza made him work for it in the final furlong, the Mullins runner clung on determinedly to emerge victorious by a neck.
Lee was riding his third winner of the week, while it was a remarkable ninth winner of the Festival for the champion National Hunt trainer.
Mullins said: “He’s improved a bit since his last run in Ballinrobe and Billy gave him a super ride in front.
“He waited in front and he just kept a little bit up his sleeve – it was a very good ride.”
