Murtagh virtually assured of title
Smullen triumphed on Curl Cat in the opening Fairways Race Stay & Golf Maiden but enjoyed no further success, leaving him with a virtually impossible task tonight.
After seeing the tough Tale Of The Cat colt hold the late surge of Westtower Boy by a head, trainer Willie McCreery commented: “We were hoping and expecting him to win earlier. But he has been consistent and deserved that. He should keep improving and will be a grand horse next year. Pat was very strong on him, just as he was the last day here.”
On the eve of being crowned champion apprentice, Gary Carroll celebrated when landing the first division of the Christmas Party Nights At Dundalk Stadium Handicap, giving the Reggie Roberts-trained Happy Moments an enterprising ride to slam Gargano by two and a half lengths.
Fran Berry, set to clinch the award as the season’s leading rider at Dundalk tonight, was seen to good effect on board the Shane Broderick-trained Fandango Boy, which followed-up a recent course win in the first division of the www.dundalkstadium,.com Handicap.
The eight-year-old, raised a whopping 14lb. for his win over a mile here last week, delighted Berry, who commented: “I suppose I got the gaps when I needed them. But he won well and I’m delighted to ride a winner for Shane.”
Another horse to defy a hefty hike in the ratings was the Garvan Donnelly-trained Home Secretary, successful over a mile and a half here two weeks ago, which proved the easiest winner of the night in the second division of the Christmas Party Nights At Dundalk Stadium Handicap. Donnelly said: “Hopefully, that’ll be a tonic for his owner Jim Gleeson, who is sick. He will probably come back here in the spring. Good ground is the key to him and the long-term plan is to go hurdling.”
