Johnston strikes again with Take Tenmade
Johnston has enjoyed a good strike-rate with his runners on Ireland’s only all-weather track in recent weeks. And with Greg Fairley again doing the steering, Take Ten bounced smartly from stall one, dictated the pace and romped to an emphatic three-lengths win over fellow British raider Noverre To Go.
Fairley said: “I’m really enjoying my trips over here, even if I have to head back for one ride in Ayr tomorrow, if it goes ahead, and then a long spin to Wolverhampton.”
The winning rider added: “This fellow has really improved since he was gelded. He loved the surface and won well.”
A course and distance winner last time, the Eddie Lynam-trained Dahindar defied top-weight in the bookings@dundalksatdium.com Handicap.
The five-year-old Invincible Spirit tracked the Johnny Murtagh ridden favourite in the straight and, just as the champion jockey made his move nearing the furlong pole, Padraig Beggy produced Dahindar with his challenge, taking command inside the final furlong to triumph by a length and three-quarters.
“We’ve always rated him a good horse, but he lost his way a bit last year,” commented Lynam, “He proved the last day that he’s back to form. He did it well tonight, travelled well and always looked a winner. I hope to find something else for him here.”
Johnny Murtagh was seen at his strongest when getting the Aidan O’Brien-trained Danec At Dawn home a neck winner from Dart Queen in the finale, the www.dundalkstadium.com Maiden.
Soon in front the Montjeu colt, blinkered for the first time, looked in trouble when hard-pressed from the two-furlong pole. But, responding to strong pressure from Murtagh, he kept finding more to deny all challengers.
Dance At Dawn was Murtagh’s 84th winner of the domestic season, leaving him seven behind Pat Smullern in the title battle , which will be decided at Dundalk over the coming weeks, with both Murtagh (in Saint-Cloud) and Pat Smullen (Melbourne) missing tomorrow’s meeting at Leopardstown.
Meanwhile, reigning champion Gary Carroll closed to within one winner of Ben Curtis in the race for the Apprentice Championship when Redera foiled morning gamble Star Of Aragon (Fran Berry) in the Fairways Race Stay & Gold Package Handicap.
Curtis now leads Carroll 36-35 in the title race with currently suspended Joseph O’Brien on the 34-winner mark.
Redera enjoyed better luck here than winning the ‘void’ race at Dundalk four weeks ago, as his trainer Tony Martin emphasised: “He deserved that after what happened with the void race. The first two finished clear, so the form might be solid enough. He’s not a bad little horse and we’ll mix it with him, here and over hurdles.”
The track’s leading trainer Ger Lyons has notched a steady stream of winners in recent weeks at Dundalk. And the apparently exposed Joe Eile, backed from 9/2 to 7/2, came good at the sixth attempt in the opening two-year-old maiden.
Ridden by stable-jockey Keagan Latham, the Iffraaj colt became involved in a ding-dong battle with Dazzle Them in the final furlong, getting home by just a short-head.
Lyons’ brother and assistant Shane commented: “He’s been consistent all year, except for a bad run, in soft ground, at Fairyhouse the last day. He’s finished for the season now and you won’t see him again until the spring. We were fighting to win the €10,000 bonus to keep his owners (the HB Partnership) going.”
The highest-rated horse in the race, An Saighduir held the late challenge of Little Luxury by the minimum margin in the six-furlong Crowne Plaza Leading Jockey & Trainer Championship Maiden.
Off the track since June, he gave Declan McDonogh his 52nd win of the campaign, prompting trainer Slattery to comment: “He went wrong during the summer and had to be given a break. He’s been working well again and came here a fresh horse tonight. I fancied him !
“Declan said he’ll have no problem getting seven furlongs. And, because he’s had such an easy season, we’ll come back here over the next few weeks.”
