CILLIAN Rowan steered home the first winner of his career when stable stalwart Comfort Line (4/1) prevailed by a neck in the View Restaurant At Dundalk Stadium Handicap.

The pair raced behind the leaders and improved into third with two furlongs to travel in this mile assignment.

Comfort Line stayed on to hit the front a furlong down and, although pressed late on by Famous Enough, fended him off by a neck at the line.

Owner/trainer Ado McGuinness said: “Cillian is with me about five or six months, he has a lot to learn. He had very little experience coming into me.

“Great to get that first winner here and he has ridden loads of work around here. It is brilliant for a young fella like that to get going.

“He’ll remember this day for the rest of his life, and he will remember that horse as well.

“He’s a big favourite in the yard. He ran back in a claimer one night, and ran badly, and I claimed him back. He’s a real star in our place, he gets to a grade and he wins.”

McGuinness was at the double when Jawhary led home his rivals over the extended 10-furlongs in the Racing Again May 26th Handicap.

The 7/2 chance tussled away at the head of affairs with Electric Beauty but Adam Caffrey sent him on a furlong out and the eight-year-old gelding was strong in the closing stages, as he put a length and three quarters on runner-up, and stablemate, Doctor Grace for owners Stephen Reddy and William Mullahy.

The trainer said: “He did that very easily. He is just bouncing at home, we are doing very little galloping with him. He loves this surface.”

IRISH Derby entrant Bay Of Stars (7/2) got off the mark on his second start in the Put The Fun In Fundraising At Dundalk Maiden over a mile and a half.

Colin Keane asked him for more with two furlongs to travel and the New Bay colt improved to challenge a furlong down. He worked his way to the front in the closing stages and had half a length to spare over I Hope You Dance at the winning post for Dermot Weld and Juddmonte.

Keane said: “The step up in trip seemed to help him - he was very raw on his first day [sixth at Dundalk] and I actually got to sit on him at home in the spring and we thought he came forward. Mr Weld was pretty happy with him at home. “He jumps well and then relaxes, switches off, probably switches off a bit too well at times. When we got stuck into him, he was there for us.”

Real good

Jessica Harrington’s Real Encounter (5/6 favourite) rolled home best off the fierce gallop in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden over the minimum trip.

She’s A Gift broke well and took the field along at a brisk pace. She was unable to keep up the gallop, though, and from a tracking position Real Encounter came through to pick her off. The favourite went on by two and a half lengths in the closing stages for Forz Europe Limited.

Jockey Shane Foley said: “I was a little bit worried about the trip, and I was probably going as hard as I was able for most of the race, but I knew she would see it out well. Five [furlongs] wasn’t ideal, but the race presented itself here and she likes the surface and the track.”

GORDON Elliott’s Boston Max (9/1) enjoyed his first venture into handicap company as he left his unplaced maiden form behind in the Irishinjuredjockeys.com Handicap over five furlongs. Chris Hayes held him up early and soon raced him in mid-division.

The pair mounted their challenge along the stands’ side in the straight and were really motoring racing into the final furlong. They took over in the final 150 yards and sailed in by two and a half lengths for owner Derek Barry.

Assistant trainer Ian Almond said: “It all [drop in trip, handicap debut, gelded, first-time tongue-tie] worked! He showed plenty of pace and it was straightforward - he won well, probably too well, I told Chris he would hardly get the ride on him the next day as he will have to be claimed off!”

Noel Kelly ran two horses in the New Saddle Bar At Dundalk Stadium Handicap and was rewarded when Queen Leila took the honours at 12/1. Shane Kelly took her to the front after a furlong and dictated the pace thereafter.

The pair held a sizeable advantage after halfway and, although the lead was reduced racing to the final furlong, they passed the post with a length and a half in hand for the Rileyzen Partnership.

Better form

Kelly said: “She had the better form here [than eighth-placed Keskon], she was fourth here the last day. We always thought she was a mile horse, we stepped her up today and she did her job.”

Drucker (4/1) put in a tough performance to claim the DundalkStadium.com Handicap over a mile and a half.

Declan McDonogh moved him closer from mid-division three furlongs out, and their momentum saw them dispute the lead with Sir Callisto a furlong and a half from home. After a protracted battle, Drucker edged ahead by half a length close home for owner Pat Garvey.

The jockey said: “I had a lovely set up, followed the second horse and just came around them at the two [pole]. I thought he stuck his head out well and showed good attitude. He relaxed even though I was in there [mid-division], he never over-raced, he had energy for the end of the race.”