On a day of mixed fortunes for punters at Dundalk, Farnese proved the third big priced winner on the card when taking the finale at 33/1.

The Oasis Dream gelding won here last year for Denis Hogan but had shown little in four outings earlier this season for owner/trainer James McAuley.

The four-year-old was always prominent under Luke McAteer and, after striking the front early in the straight, kept on well under pressure to beat top-weight Foreign Legion by a length.

The north County Dublin-based McAuley also saddled the third Caesar’s Comet who was just a head further back.

McAuley said, “It wasn't a surprise to be honest. We've always loved him. Three different jockeys rode him and said he travelled but was just cutting out and we had no idea why.

“I said maybe it was my gallops, as I have the same surface from here, and maybe it was too easy for him as he's a big fat horse and we'd send him back to Denis (Hogan).

“We ended up scoping him and found that his larynx and pharynx were collapsing so there seemed to be a legitimate reason for him to be doing what he was doing.

“He's only back riding out about five weeks. He always worked fairly classy and hopefully he can go on from that.”

The afternoon got off to a couple of surprise results with Hodd's Girl (20/1) and Pin Your Hopes (25/1) upsetting the odds.

(GC & AM)