STEPHEN Thorne dedicated the win of Sir Les Patterson (11/8 favourite) in the Racing TV Club Day Handicap to his late brother Adrian, who sadly passed away recently.

Following up on an easy course and distance win in November, the Shamrock Thoroughbreds-owned five-year-old once again proved a class above his rivals.

Given a confident ride by Jack Kearney, the UK import made smooth headway from early in the straight and improved to lead with over a furlong to go, keeping on well from there for a comfortable length-and-three-quarters win.

“I want to dedicate this to my brother who passed away last week very suddenly and he is up there looking down on us,” Thorne disclosed.

“Obviously, Newcastle has been the grand plan, so hopefully the handicapper won’t be too severe on him before we head that direction.”

Newcastle bound

Owned by Amo Racing Limited and Giselle De Aguiar, Carolina Jetstream (5/2 favourite from 9/2 early) is also Newcastle-bound after her New Saddle Bar At Dundalk Stadium Handicap triumph.

Registering her fourth win at the venue, the Pinatubo four-year-old raced mainly in third under Donagh O’Connor and was ridden to the front with a furlong and a half to go.

While soon edging slightly right, she ultimately prevailed by three-quarters of a length, with Brewing and Galway Hurdle hero Ndaawi in second and third respectively.

“We are going to enter her for the mile and for the seven-furlong races at Newcastle and we’ll see nearer the time what suits her better,” successful trainer Robson De Aguiar disclosed. “I’m very happy with the way she raced today, she settled well and I think she has improved mentally.”

Battle-hardened

The same connections had to settle for fourth with Reposado in the View Restaurant At Dundalk Stadium Maiden, as Battle Bourne (11/2) led home nine rivals in this seven-furlong heat.

Owned and trained by Pat McKenna and bought out of a claimer for €5,000 in December, the Acclamation four-year-old had a good tussle with Go Out in the closing stages, with just a short head between them at the line.

Patrick McGettigan was aboard the 66-rated victor and he later reflected: “The last day, the horse that beat him (Ben Lawers) was rated 87 and I thought coming here today it was sort of a weaker race. He is a battle-hardened horse and showed that today.”

COMPLETING a 129/1 double for Joseph O’Brien, the Thoroughbred Alliance Syndicate-owned So Must I (4/1 from 6s early) upstaged stable mate Arrietty in the concluding Bar 1 Betting Download Our App Rated Race.

Upped in trip and racing in third under Declan McDonogh, the successful Sottsass chesnut was pushed along from early in the straight and came with her challenge a furlong and a half from home.

Soon edging to the front, she was kept honest by the aforementioned Arrietty (11/8 favourite), with half a length splitting them at the line.

“There was no hiding place, they went a good, even pace and I didn’t really get sucked into it.

“I was happy to just follow in the trail,” McDonogh reflected.

“She’s from a stout-staying family and was tough and genuine today.”

A similar story unfolded in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden, with O’Brien’s easy-to-back Lady In Gold (25/1) beating a better-fancied stable companion.

Failing to make an impact on debut last month, the €210,000 Arqana Breeze Up purchase was ridden to challenge with less than two furlongs to go and soon got to the front, keeping on well in the closing stages to score by a length and a half.

Vishaya (4/1) was the other O’Brien representative and she finished third, while 6/4 favourite Eclat could only manage sixth.

“She’s a filly that does everything right at home and she actually ran better than her finishing position the last day,” winning rider Joey Sheridan said of the Sights On Gold Two Partnership-owned victor.

“I actually got there too soon and she was plenty green, so there should be improvement to come.”

LAURA Hourigan’s Unterberg (3/1 favourite) enhanced his impressive record at Dundalk in the irishinjuredjockeys.com Handicap. The Novum Racing Club-owned seven-year-old was registering his fifth win from 10 starts at the Louth circuit. Racing mainly in second under Rory Mulligan, he kept on well to win by a length and a half.

“He is still improving for me,” Hourigan enthused. “I might give him a break now because I’d be waiting a month to run him here again and he won’t go on summer soft, he wants good ground.”

Jack Davison’s Royal Impact also came home a length and a half to the good, beating 13 rivals in the Put The Fun In Fundraising At Dundalk Handicap. Owned and bred by Carol Benson, the four-year-old was towards rear early on under James Ryan, before being ridden to the front inside the final 200 yards and kept on well from there, with the front-running Lahore Da King and Iqbal Khan filling the runner-up spot. Found guilty of using his whip with his arm above shoulder height for a fourth time, Khan picked up a 10-day ban and must attend R.A.C.E. for two days tuition on correct use of the whip.

Already twice successful on turf, Aingeal Dorcha (15/2) broke his all-weather duck in the DundalkStadium.com Apprentice Handicap. Missing the entirety of 2023 and 2024, the Andy Slattery-trained eight-year-old was registering his first success in over three and a half years. In the colours of the Men Of Forty Eight Syndicate, the 15/2 chance tracked the leaders under Adam Browne-Souza and was ridden to the front with less than two furlongs to go and came home a length and three-quarters clear of Marians Gal. “He has kind of been my companion throughout the whole winter and he has put it all together tonight,” the winning rider explained.