McDonogh powers Rajik to hat-trick

RAJIK completed a hat-trick when producing a gutsy performance in the listed Ardilaun Hotel Oyster Stakes at Galway yesterday, getting up close home to foil fellow joint-favourite Address Unknown by a head.

Having tracked the leaders, the Charlie Swan-trained five-year-old was scrubbed along in the dip and needed a power-packed ride from Declan McDonogh to collar the Pat Smullen-ridden frontrunner, to which the winner was conceding 16lb. including a listed penalty earned at the Curragh recently.

Swan was understandably delighted by Rajik’s victory and said “He’s a tough little devil and battled hard all the way up the hill. I was considering the Doncaster Cup for him, but it’s less than two weeks away and he’s had hard races at the Curragh and again today.”