Murtagh and McCullaghnet doubles at Dundalk

DOUBLES for champion jockey Johnny Murtagh and Niall McCullagh, along with trainer Eddie Lynam, proved the highlights of Dundalk’s first meeting of 2012 last night.

Murtagh kicked-off the New Year with a straight-forward victory on 4/11 favourite Muck ‘N’ Brass in the opening two-year-old maiden, the son of Aussie Rules sweeping past front-running stable-companion Attic Finch at the furlong-pole to score emphatically by two and a half lengths.

Muck ‘N’ Brass sparked an opening race double for trainer Eddie Lynam, who admitted: “It’s good to get the New Year off to a good start,” before the Emmet McNamara-ridden Akasaka proved too good for Black N Brew in the Dundalk Winter Racing Handicap, prompting his trainer to comment: “He lost his way a bit and needed the break. Joseph O’Brien has always told me there’d be a day with him. And Emmet said he won well tonight.”