An amateur jockey ended a five year gap without a winner by scoring on a 50-1 chance trained by Willie Mullins.
Englishman David Dunsdon, 42, has ridden in over 350 races but had cut back his involvement in recent years.
Inspired by record Tour De France winner Sir Mark Cavendish, he came back with the goal of winning one of the most valuable races of its kind in the calendar for amateur riders, the Connacht Hotel Handicap at the Galway Festival.
Riding his own horse Sirius, having just her second start for Willie Mullins, the mare came from stone last at halfway to slalom through the field, arriving full of running to go on to score by three and a half lengths.
Dunsdon said afterwards, “This is a dream. I can remember a few years ago I was riding at Punchestown and had a big imposter syndrome and thought 'what am I doing?'
“For four years I stopped riding. I watched Mark Cavendish make his comeback after he had some real challenges and that kind of inspired me.
“I called Willie Mullins and asked him if we could find one for the GPT, because the GPT is like the Melbourne Cup for amateur jockeys.
“I’d never sat on her before today. We missed the start and I thought I just had to sit chilly, ride with cold blood.
“I thought if I could get her to relax and she stays, his horses are so fit she will keep running up the hill. It’s a dream. I haven’t ridden a winner for five years so for this race to be you comeback winner to be this race when it’s the race you dream
“This is like winning at the Cheltenham Festival but it’s on the Flat, I'm still a bit in shock.”
The win even surprised Mullins who said: “David asked me to look out for a horse for him to ride in this race, to try to win it, and that was two years ago.
“He actually never sat on her before, he was supposed to come over and ride her out and never did. It’s tremendous.
"I thought it was an extraordinary achievement. I’m delighted for him. She won easy.”