Nikki Swango completes quickfire Dundalk double
Nikki Swango and Adam Caffrey win the Bet On The Best Night Out At Dundalk Stadium Handicap at the Louth venue. Picture: Healy Racing
Backed into 11-8 favourite, the Ado McGuinness-trained Nikki Swango defied an 11lb hike for a course and distance success last Wednesday when coasting to a follow-up victory in the Bet On The Best Night Out At Dundalk Stadium Handicap at the Louth venue.
Ridden again by Adam Caffrey, the Galileo Gold filly tracked the pace and, when they emerged from the fog, with a furlong and a half to race, she was asserting, ultimately stretching away to score by three and three-quarter lengths from Wellwhatshappenin.
“She’s a little bit unlucky not to have won three in a row,” acknowledged McGuinness. “She’s definitely improving and, after three quick runs, is due a short break.
“But she’ll come back here for something before Christmas. We’ll see what Garry (handicapper Garry O’Gorman) does to her — I don’t think she’ll have a problem stepping into a 0-70.”
Another well-backed winner was Instant Appeal, who justified 11-10 favouritism on his second start for Stephen Thorne in the Irishinjuredjockeys.com Handicap, outpointing Vlhova.
“He was just ready to start the last day and things didn’t pan out for him,” explained Thorne. “I was keen to put Shane (Foley) back on him — he’s a tricky enough horse and he knows him well and recommended him to us.
“Shane rode him with plenty of confidence, which suits him. And we should have fun with him here over the winter — he’ll have one more run before Christmas and might end up in Lingfield in the spring.”
A 12 -race maiden, wearing blinkers for the first time, Beautiful Affair belatedly opened her account for Joseph O’Brien in the seven-furlong Student Race Day At Dundalk Stadium Maiden.
Ridden by apprentice Julian Pietropaolo, she swept past Ready To Mingle to score by a length and a half, prompting her rider to comment: “She broke and got a nice position behind the leaders. We quickened turning for home and she picked up and won well.”
Chris Hayes was on the mark when Enthusiastically, trained by Donnacha O’Brien for his sister Sarah and wearing a combination of both blinkers and a hood, made virtually all in the seven-furlong nursery, holding Monvoe by a half-length.
Hayes said: “She’s a nice individual, quite tall, with the frame to develop over the winter. Donnacha told me to keep it simple and go forward on her. We got going sooner than ideal but she kept going well.”
Ben Coen, who ended the turf season with 67 winners, in third place in the championship, struck on board Matt Smith’s Blackjack Hill (9-2) in the first division of the Now Racing Every Wednesday At Dundalk Handicap.
The second division went to Ger O’Leary’s Brandon Creek (Jack Cleary), a last runner of 2025 for the Purosangue Racing Syndicate.
At the end of a remarkable breakthrough season, Nicola Burns got the Adrian Murray-trained Back To Me up in the dying strides to pip My Cubby Bear in the two-year-old median auction maiden.
Apprentice Alan Casey rode out his 10lb claim when landing the six-furlong claimer on Sporting Hero, a now a five-time winner at Dundalk, for his boss Denis Hogan, who managed a notable 1-2-4-5 in the event.
“He’s been lucky for me,” said Casey. “The strong pace suited him. He was brave and kept finding for me.”
