ADO McGuinness was the trainer in form at Dundalk on Friday evening, registering a double on the card.

Orderofthephoenix looked a potentially smart juvenile when readily landing the opening Irish EBF Median Sires Series Fillies Maiden under Ronan Whelan.

Sent off a well supported 10/3 second favourite, the filly, who is jointly owned by Shamrock Thoroughbreds, Syndicates Racing and Dolmen Racing Club, quickened clear of her rivals at the two-furlong pole to win easily by four and three quarter lengths.

“She’s a very good filly and we’d have a good line on them with the horses we have at home,” McGuinness said. “She was a bit hard to ride early doors but we have her settled now and Adam (Caffrey) rides her out every day and has done a good job on her.

“We just bided our time with her until we got her settled. Her run in Listowel was a good run on soft ground and she’s proved today that she’s a proper filly. We knew she’d improve a good bit and we knew she’d like nicer ground.

“She’s for sale and is definitely a blacktype filly in the making. I’d say she’ll be a good filly over seven or a mile next year and could be a good one for America.”

Brace

Migdam completed the brace for the Lusk trainer when heading stablemate Tosen Wish inside the last furlong to win the Irishinjuredjockeys.com Handicap.

The 11/2 chance, carrying the well-known colours of Dooley Thoroughbreds, showed plenty of determination in edging ahead close home to score by half a length.

“We’re still figuring this horse out,” McGuinness said. “He ran over a mile and one in Punchestown and just got chinned so we decided to drop him back even though he’d won over a mile and two in Doncaster.

“Hopefully the handicapper won’t be too hard on him. The two of them have fought it out and they are solid horses that we can look forward to for next year.”

WHILE Ado McGuinness and Ronan Whelan combined to win the first, the latter denied the trainer a treble on the night when producing 5/2 chance Ceallach with a late burst to deny Star Harbour in the FLC Frank Lynch & Co. 50th Anniversary Handicap.

Trained by Michael Halford and Tracey Collins, the four-year-old led inside the last 100 yards to win by half a length. Michael Halford said: “He gets the mile and a half well and he’s been a great servant for us. Ronan knows him inside out now, he’s a good traveller and the race set up lovely for him.

“I’m delighted for Paul Rooney (owner) who has been a great supporter. He’s away on holidays and his twin brother Donal is here to receive the trophy. We’re thinking about taking him to Bahrain for the winter.

“There is a series of races over there and there is probably more for him there than there would be in Dubai. There is another one or two that we could consider to bring there as well but we’ll have to see what happens in the next couple of weeks.”

Jack Kearney saw his claim reduced to 5lb after Many Tears gave him a 30th career success in the Friday Night Lights At Dundalk Handicap.

Despite a wide draw on the David Spratt-owned filly, the young apprentice kept his nerve, producing her with a well-timed challenge up the stands’ rail before going on to by a length.

Shane Lyons said of the 11/1 winner: “She’s a good filly and is over 500 kilos so it’s probably taken her this time to grow into herself. She won in Gowran Park during the summer but she disappointed a bit after and it was probably just weakness.

“She loved this surface and will be kept on the go until she tells us that she’s tired. She’ll definitely be in training next year. She’s by Showcasing and out of a good Italian dam line. The aim with fillies is always blacktype and we’ll give it a go if she tells us in the new year.”

JOCKEY Robert Whearty rode a double, the first coming via Neverfindanother U in the first division of the Three Men, Ten Years, And A Dream Apprentice Handicap.

The Thomas Gibney-trained 11/2 chance got her head down on the line to come out the right side of a three-way photo finish. Only a nose and a short head separated the first three.

Whearty reported of the Leo Reilly owned winner: “She likes this surface. She also ran well when second on heavy ground at Leopardstown but just hadn’t been firing on turf during the year. Hopefully she will be competitive up here over the winter and I think she’ll get a mile and a half.”

Whearty’s second leg came on the Noel Meade-trained Luke Short in the concluding Christmas Party Nights At Dundalk Book Now Handicap.

The 6/1 chance was always prominent, leading over two furlongs out before going on to win comfortably by three and a quarter lengths.

The six-year-old was owned by the Spice of Life Partnership. Later, the winning jockey said: “I rode him here the last day when he finished third and I just thought that I wasn’t positive enough on him and was a bit further back than I wanted to be. Today I was determined to go forward and thought he’d get the trip well.

“It definitely brought out improvement in him and hopefully he’ll be a fun horse here for the winter.”

Natalia Lupini sent out another juvenile winner with Barnso justifying a price of 6/4 in the Irish EBF Median Sires Series (C&G) Maiden.

Ridden by Billy Lee, the MBC Partnership owned colt led a furlong out, keeping on strongly to win by a length and a quarter. Lupini said: “He’s a big, strong colt, very correct and mentally the penny is just starting to drop with him. We were hopeful coming here and he will get a mile. There is plenty of improvement in him.”

The Mpex Kid relished the step up in trip when proving too strong for the opposition in the second division of the Three Men, Ten Years, And A Dream Apprentice Handicap. The Ciaran Murphy-trained seven-year-old led over a furlong out before powering clear for an easy three-quarter-length win under Jamie Powell.