Smullen double leaves him three behind in title race

REIGNING champion Pat Smullen completed a double on Flic Flac and She’s My Dandy to reduce Johnny Murtagh’s lead in the title-race to just three with only four meetings remaining before the season ends two weeks from tomorrow.

Flic Flac, trained by Dermot Weld for the Moyglare Stud Farm, held on in a desperate finish to the seven-furlong Dundalk Stadium On Facebook Handicap, dead-heating with the fast-finishing Sunset Beauty with Obligada a short-head away third and another finisher — Collingwood — a further half-length back in fourth.

The champion quipped: “Half a loaf is better than nothing,” after the result was confirmed, his mount sharing the spoils with the Jim Bolger-trained, Kevin Manning-ridden Sunset Beauty.