JOCKEY Shane Foley partnered a double at Dundalk on Wednesday afternoon. Seoul Force initiated the brace in the opening Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden.
Trained by Jessica Harrington, the Zhang Yuesheng-owned 11/4 chance kept on well inside the final furlong to prevail by a neck.
Foley said: “That’s him maybe put away for the year and he could develop into a nice little horse next year. He’s had a few little issues and that, so he got them ironed out and it is nice to win with him at two (years). I hadn’t planned on making the running, but no one wanted to go, so were getting it easy and did our own thing.”
One for next year
The Danny Murphy-trained Ballintogher brought up Foley’s two-timer when landing odds of 9/4 in the Now Racing Every Wednesday At Dundalk Maiden. A son of Gregorian, the gelding raced prominently throughout, before scoring by a half-length.
Murphy said: “Rory O’Brien (owner) was on the WhatsApp to me, he’s over in America, and his wife is here with his daughter. It was great to win with him because I think he is a nice horse.
“We’d like to put him away until next year and get him out early in the spring. I like him and I think he will be a nice six/seven-furlong horse. With a good winter into him, he will be a strong horse next year.”
MATRICE credited trainer Joseph O’Brien with his 1,000th worldwide flat success when justifying 5/6 favouritism in the concluding Safer Gambling Week 2025 Fillies Maiden.
Ridden by Declan McDonogh, the Bob Scarborough-owned three-year-old stayed on strongly to score by a length and a quarter.
McDonogh said: “The quick turnaround from Friday did her no harm at all and she had got a mile and a half on the grass before. I thought on Friday she just lost a little bit of concentration so I said to Joseph we might just stick the cheekpieces on.
“She went forward to the line without any hesitation. She’s a Frankel filly, so it was important to get the bracket and it is good to get the win. She seems to love the Polytrack, so she’s versatile in ground conditions.”
Close finish
Retired trainer and current owner James McAuley won the Dundalk Stadium Gift Vouchers Available Online Handicap with recently-claimed Fleetfootsoldier. Sent off 9/2, the Denis Hogan-trained gelding scored by half a length under Joey Sheridan.
McAuley later revealed: “As this horse won, we bought another horse Mehman (for 4,800gns) in an online auction, so the prize money didn’t last very long!”
He added: “Fleetfootsoldier got 10lb for winning the claimer and I’d say he would struggle over seven furlongs if he ends up in another grade, as he is more a miler and got away with it today.
“We’ll keep him busy, Denis clipped him the other day and he looks a million dollars, and he was delighted with him. Joey is riding brilliantly, he really is in some form.”
Battle won
Danny McLoughlin landed a gamble with Battleforsupremacy in the Irishinjuredjockeys.com Nursery. Sent off 5/1(from 11/1), the gelding carried the trainer’s own colours to a neck win.
McLoughlin later said of the Scott McCullagh-ridden victor: “He has run in some very good maidens and down in Cork he ran very well in September, when not beaten that far.
“He was always learning, came out of a breeze-up yard so the main thing with him was always to get him to relax. The more racing he gets, hopefully the better he will relax. It will help his head.”
Notforalongtime comes home at a big price
TRAINER Laura Hourigan sent out 33/1 chance Notforalongtime to win the Christmas Party Nights At Dundalk Stadium Handicap. Ridden by champion apprentice Wayne Hassett, the veteran carried the trainer’s silks to a short head win over Moyassr.
Hassett reported: “Laura is doing very well with the few horses she has. This horse had a good draw and there were plenty of forward-going horses, so our plan was just to follow away and see what happens.
“The cheekpieces helped today and it worked out lovely. He knows how to win and is a genuine sort of a horse. He’ll win up here again, he just needed to come down the weights.”
Off the mark
Five-year-old mare Marians Gal registered a belated first success in landing Division l of the Book Online At DundalkStadium.com Handicap. Trained by Kevin Smith, the 6/1 chance scored easily by four and a quarter lengths under Julian Pietropaolo.
Smith said: “From a bad draw, Julian got her across and he made it look easy. He is talented, but is in the right place (Joseph O’Brien’s). He said that she picked up really well for one in that grade. I’m delighted for Peter (Durnin, owner), who is a brother-in-law of mine.
“My dad bought her and my mam is Marian, so it is a family horse. She seems to like it up here, she’s consistent enough and we’ll tip away and see how we get on.”
Serious gallop
The Mind Your Own Business Syndicate-owned Nibras Rainbow won Division ll of the Book Online At DundalkStadium.com Handicap. Sent off 16/1, the Gavin Cromwell-trained gelding scored by three quarters of a length under jockey Robert Whearty.
Whearty, who finished second in last season’s Champion Apprentice Jockeys title, said: “They went a serious gallop throughout, so I had something to aim at and, while I ended up getting there, Colin (Keane on Thompson Gunner) got by me.
“To be fair, he stuck to it well and battled out to the line. I’d say he’ll be kept going for the winter and he’s probably not overly hard on himself.”