IRISH Derby entrant Handshake made a winning debut at Dundalk last Friday as the first leg of a double for Joseph O’Brien.

The Sea The Moon colt was backed down to 6/4 favourite for the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Median Auction Maiden over a mile and tracked the leaders for Joey Sheridan. From fourth at the halfway stage, Sheridan brought him to close a quarter of a mile from home.

He delivered his challenge at the furlong pole and was too strong for Nermal in the closing stages as he went on by a length and a quarter for owners Von Ullmann, Becher and Kortum Partnership.

Sheridan said: “There’s a bit of strength to him, and he picked up from the bottom of the straight and he lengthened the whole way to the line. He took a bit of pulling up.”

Close call

It was a closer call for O’Brien’s Mveve (13/8 favourite) in the View Restaurant At Dundalk Stadium Fillies Maiden, but she held on by a head from Laoise Eile.

The American Pharoah filly travelled well into contention in the straight for Declan McDonogh and improved to lead a furlong down. Laoise Eile kept her more than honest at the business end, but Mveve prevailed by a head for the Annus Mirabilis Syndicate.

McDonogh said: “Pace wasn’t strong and I didn’t want to light her up. Filled her with a bit of confidence down the straight for the first early part - like a bit of work rather than go for her. Nursed her down the straight.”

UNA Matata overcame a tardy start to land the Book Online At DundalkStadium.com Claiming Race over seven furlongs for owners Mark Devlin, Mark McGuckin and Claire Wylie.

She was backed from 5/2 to 13/8 favourite and, doubtless, her backers feared the worst after she raced towards the rear upon leaving the stalls.

Sam Coen kept his cool and the pair made progress into the straight.

They stayed on from fourth with a furlong to race and picked it up in the closing stages. She won by half a length over Porsche Lad.

Ado McGuinness said: “She had a lot to do - she missed the break there, but she did it fairly well. They went a good gallop and Sam’s seven (claim) helped.”

A friendly claim was successful on the winner while the runner-up was claimed by Pat Murphy. Minaun View, who was unplaced, was also the subject of a friendly claim by Noel Kelly.

Beau makes it a brace

Beau Army (5/1) followed up on a Polytrack victory in November when successful in the Irishinjuredjockeys.com Handicap over seven furlongs for owners Martin W. White, Nigel O’Hare and the Kabin Racing Syndicate.

Rory Cleary held her up behind the leaders and the duo made their move inside the final quarter of a mile. They disputed the lead with Queen Leila and Luke McAteer with a furlong to travel and led narrowly in the closing stages. From there, they proved half a length too strong.

She gave Ado McGuinness a double on the card and he said: “She might get into Lingfield (Good Friday) and I think she will handle a bit of juice in the ground, so there’s plenty of options there for her.”

McAteer was given a three-day suspension for excessive frequency with the whip on the runner-up.

Old friends

Paul Flynn and Seamie Heffernan successfully teamed up with in-form Moyassr in the Dundalk Winter Series Leading Trainer & Jockey Handicap over a mile.

The Mehmas gelding won over course and distance last month under Adam Grant, and went off the 10/3 favourite.

The five-year-old gelding tracked the leaders and took closer order racing to the final furlong. He got the measure of Rockbury Lad deep in the final furlong to beat him by three-quarters of a length for owner Aiden Hynes.

Flynn said: “That’s Seamie’s first winner for me, it is hard to believe. When I started in Jim Bolger’s, Seamie looked after me a long time ago. I never give him any rides, but you love to use Seamie when you can - normally he is booked.”

MICHAEL O’Callaghan was quick to praise Leigh Roche after he drove Genoah (3/1) in for a last-gasp success in the Bar 1 Betting Extra Places Daily Rated Race.

The five-year-old gelding rattled home to get there in the final stride for Alto Equine Building Solutions.

O’Callaghan said: “That was a class ride! That was as good a ride as I have seen Leigh give one, it was perfect.

“It wasn’t a straightforward race, it was a messy sort of a race. They jumped and went along early and then they steadied it up.”

Dorothy Heffernan’s Mythical Rock rewarded good support (5/1 - 10/3 joint-favourite) in Division 1 of the Follow Us On X @DundalkStadium Handicap. Conor Cusack was patient aboard the Pat Murphy-trained maiden and then decided to kick on a furlong and a half down.

Beat The Devil finished nicely, but was half a length in arrears at the line.

With trainer Murphy leading up, Cusack said: “I felt the way he finished off the last day (runner-up at Dundalk), there would be a day in him.”

Without Love showed improvement in third at Dundalk in January and eked out more to strike in Division 2 of the Follow Us On X @DundalkStadium Handicap.

The 9/2 shot was hampered inside the final quarter of a mile, when making headway for Wesley Joyce, but the duo weren’t perturbed and stayed on well throughout the final furlong to get up by a neck close home.

Cian Hughes trained the winner for Noel Flanagan and said: “We gave him a spin on the beach there last Sunday, he went from Laytown to Mornington and we knew he was in good form.”