THERE were eight separate sets of winning connections on Dundalk’s Wednesday meeting where the most notable winner was Selective Power (9/2) in the first division of the Gift Vouchers Handicap, which provided winning trainer Eddie Lynam with a 1-2 in the race.

Selective Power is a half-brother to Lynam’s July Cup winner Slade Power, also the sire of runner-up Linus Larrabee, with the pair separated by just a neck.

Ridden by Chris Hayes, three-year-old maiden Selective Power was produced to lead inside the final furlong and defeated treble-chasing stablemate Linus Larrabee. Lynam trains Selective Power for Slade Power’s owner-breeder Sabina Power and revealed: “He walks the box at the races. He’s alright at home but at the races he walks the box and gets himself in a tizz. Unlike the trainer, he doesn’t have the comfort of a box of cigarettes!”

“It is good to win with him, the family has been good to me. Obviously Slade Power was a superstar, so it is nice to get a win with him.”

Disputed

There were three further owner-breeder winners on the card, beginning with Liam Queally’s 70-rated Shangrilama’s win in the opening Irish Stallion Farms EBF Auction Maiden, for trainer Noel Meade and jockey Leigh Roche.

The daughter of Profitable disputed the lead and in the final furlong battled well to beat newcomers Den Of Iniquity and Bitacora and provide Roche with a first winner for Meade.

Meade said: “She does stay so we thought we would hang on to her if we could and, if he (Roche) was comfortable, he’d stay up there. A mile would probably suit her even better. I thought she had a great chance because she’s after maturing a lot and she has got a lot stronger, and she looks great. The unknown was the surface - she was never on it before, but she seemed to handle it well.”

It was Roche’s 18th ride for Meade, who added: “I’m delighted for Leigh, he has been riding a bit of work for me lately. Colin (Keane) asked me would I give him a chance, so I’m happy all round.”

Prince breaks Speed Limit

FOUR-year-old Inishmot Prince (6/1) notched a fourth course win, landing the Christmas Party Nights At Dundalk Handicap for trainer Tom McCourt, owner/breeder Oliver Curtis and jockey James Ryan. All Inishmot Prince’s wins have been gained at the Co Louth venue this year and scored here by half a length from No Speed Limit.

Trainer McCourt said: “I think he only does enough. He likes to get a bit of daylight, he got the clear run when he was coming through. He doesn’t like getting boxed up in behind horses.

“The last day he won here, and today, he travelled a lot better. There were other times he was getting too far back and just wasn’t travelling. It is only now he has started to travel. I suppose five and six (furlongs) seems to be his trip and it is not too many of them win four.”

Owner/breeder Annemarie O’Brien was on the mark in the Now Racing Every Wednesday Maiden as River Rain (7/2) gained an overdue first win, defeating better-backed stablemate Dancing Tango to provide Joseph O’Brien with a 1-2. Ridden by Hugh Horgan, River Rain raced with the leaders, led a furlong out, and stayed well to beat Dancing Tango by over two lengths.

Afterwards O’Brien’s assistant Brendan Powell said: “She has got some strong form through the season at the Curragh and Galway and I honestly don’t know if once or twice she pulled herself up in front. Maybe this surface is for her. I thought she was beaten there for a minute but she put her head down and galloped. She has got her head in front now, so hopefully might do it again.”

Colin Keane was at his patient best on Coolcalmcollected (8/1) as the champion jockey bagged the DundalkStadium.com Nursery for trainer Ciaran Murphy and owner Dot Love.

Keane produced the son of Ardad to lead, under a hands-and-heels drive, close home to defeat Not Too Real Bad by half a length. Winning owner Love said: “He is definitely a horse for next year, he’s still green, but is a lovely, lovely model. He’s nice and honest.

“We are really pleased with him and we won’t be too hard on him. It is a nice way to end the season I think, but the boss (Murphy) might overrule that!”

CHUTZPAL (11/2) got off the mark on his first attempt at two miles today, landing the Irishinjuredjockeys.com Handicap for trainer Jenny Lynch and father-son, owner-jockey Jerry and Mark Enright.

Afterwards jockey Enright said “I thought in his last couple of races, over one mile four furlongs, all he was doing was galloping away. He was a little bit keen early and I said at the bottom of the straight he will either stay or he won’t. He put his head down and he was going away at the line. He’s owned by my father and he’s for sale so, if anyone wants a nice jumper, he is on the market and selling all the time!

Leclerc (5/2f) gained a first win in the Dundalk Stadium Gift Vouchers Handicap (div II) for trainer Ado McGuinness and jockey Adam Caffrey. McGuinness said: “He was entitled to do that, but I was a bit worried going back to seven (furlongs). Early on in the year, he showed me a lot of pace and we ran him a couple of times and he was a bit disappointing.

“He’s a huge, big horse and had a lot of problems, I think, before I got him (as an unraced horse) but he’s grand. He should be able to collect again up here for the winter and will get further.”

Team Valor’s Cold Steel (8/1 to 9/2) defied a 167-days layoff to defy top-weight and win the View Restaurant At Dundalk Stadium Handicap, scoring under jockey Bill Lee for trainer Andy Oliver. On his first run since June, he beat runner-up Turf Range by half a length. Oliver said: “He ran well for us in his first couple of starts in June and just had a minor setback, so we just gave him time. He enjoys that surface, and hopefully he will come on from it.”