THE visiting Melbourne 10 were a big presence at Laytown on Tuesday but the English syndicate had to wait until the last race to celebrate victory after launching a strong raiding party at the beach.

Bedecked in matching blazers, the owners had eight horses to cheer on throughout the meeting and Monteverdi finally delivered in the orange and blue colours in the concluding Hibernia Steel amateur race.

Kate Harrington guided the 7/4 favourite to victory, tracking the leaders before hitting the front three furlongs out.

The Jamie Osborne-trained gelding stayed on well in the closing stages to post a three-length win over Edification.

“Last year we didn’t have a winner until the last and it’s happened again this year. What a relief!” said Osborne.

“I think I was going to be swimming home if he hadn’t won! We had a couple of reversals along the way and were starting to just bang the heads a little bit. Any day you have a winner is a good one.

“I’ve never seen him do that before (play up in stalls), it was a bit of a shock to me. I was thinking oh my god we are going to get withdrawn. Thank god it all worked out.”

Haraz had just come up short earlier in the Gilna’s Cottage Inn Maiden when losing out to the Ger Lyons-trained Silk Cravat.

Colin Keane had led over two furlongs from home on the 13/8 favourite and he held the raider at bay by half a length.

“He had to come here to win his maiden but he’s a horse with plenty of ability,” said Shane Lyons.

“Colin is a very strong jockey but equally he’s a very brainy jockey. He said going out if I hit this horse once he’ll curl up.

“He had the confidence to ride hands and heels and that was the winning of the race. He’s the kind of horse if he hit him once he would be beaten a short-head rather than win a short-head.

“We have a good record around Laytown, love it, and for horses like this it revitalises them. It’s great for the syndicate (Gaelic Thoroughbreds).

“If that lad put it in like he does at home he’d have a few more under the belt. Hopefully this gives him confidence and he can move on from there.

“On a slow five on the Curragh he ran a cracker and that’s seven on quick. He has plenty of speed and we should have a bit of fun with him.”

Keane was completing a quick double having also landed the preceding Follow @TheMelbourne10 One Facebook Handicap for his father Ger on Red All Star.

The 9/2 shot made most of the running in the six-furlong contest and held the late charge of Boxer Dunford by a neck.

“We tried him on the grass but it didn’t work out as every time we ran the ground was gone for him,” said Keane senior.

“At Down Royal the last day he was a bit disappointing but he was a bit caught up after it. We gave him a break to freshen him up and the only thing I was afraid of was that I had left him too short.

“He’s probably better fresh anyway and coming back to that surface did the trick. He was in really good form and that might be the best way to have him.

“We’ll tip away in Dundalk now as he did well there last year. The ground will be gone for him on the turf now anyway.

“We were getting him ready for Dundalk and this came up, I didn’t think he would get in.”

Clare Cannon had also been sweating about Coreczka getting a run in the opening At The Races Handicap and her stable star made the most of her opportunity.

Oisin Orr came from last to first on the 10/1 shot (backed from 20/1) and she got to the front inside the final furlong to beat My Good Brother by three-parts of a length.

“She’s the queen of the sand and she’s just warming up for Dundalk again,” said Cannon.

“She’s won five at seven or a mile and that’s her first at six. Oisin gave her a good ride and he knows her.

“I had a runner here last year, loved it and wanted to come back. I didn’t see the finish as I was too busy screaming. I’m delighted with her.

“She mightn’t be a champion in everybody’s stable but she’s definitely one in mine. I have three in training in Bangor, Co. Down.

“We have a beach up there and I’ve been making sure she’s been getting used to it. I was panicking she wouldn’t get in but thankfully she did.

“She was seventh in the ballot and I had to do some praying. She hasn’t really been performing on the turf. She’s won the last three seasons in Dundalk.

“I’m actually looking for a ticket across Europe next year for this beach race series. I was thinking maybe if she took to it we could go on our holidays across Europe. Maybe that dream might come true next year.

“We’ll have to research that and save some money.”

Rivellino is another horse set for a campaign at Dundalk following his narrow victory in the O’Neills Sports Handicap.

Lisa O’Neill led two furlongs out on Ado McGuinness’ charge but he was all out close home to hold Seanie by a head.

The winner was backed from 16/1 in the morning into 11/2 on course.

“He’d run two very good races, one of them up the Curragh in the big sprint on Oaks weekend when he finished sixth,” said McGuinness.

“He’s a two--time listed winner and has slipped back down the ratings a bit. He’ll go back to Dundalk for the winter.

“He’s not the easiest horse to train and he needs a very sound surface – his good runs for me have been on a sound surface.

“He’s doesn’t really act on soft ground and needs it rattling quick. He got it out there and we’ll have a bit of fun with him.”

Richard O’Brien tweeted about a bittersweet victory for Tom Dooley after he gained his fourth win of the season in the ScotchHall Shopping Centre Claiming Race.

The six-year-old ran out an easy winner under Billy Lee after hitting the front just inside the final furlong, going on for a three and three-quarter length success. He was subsequently claimed for €5,000 by Fran Costello.

“He did it well. He settled well but he was keen enough going down. He was loving the beach I’d say,” said Lee afterwards.

“He jumped out well and settled away well. The longer I left it before going for him the better and he stayed on well to the line.

“He’s won four this year and fair play to Richard for doing that as it’s not easy when you are getting those horses coming from other yards. You might only get one day out of them so to get four is a fair achievement.

“He’s done really well with these horses. He’s freshened them up well and they are taking their racing well. He’s not afraid to run them.

“This is a nice change of scenery for the day, even thought it’s just once a year, it’s great.”

ACTING STWARDS

Ms M. Cosgrave, A. Byrne, R. Dore, J.R. Craigie.

HORSE TO FOLLOW

RIVELLINO (A. McGuinness): Former dual listed winner Rivellino bounced back to winning ways and may be a horse to follow at Dundalk this winter.