Ger Lyons maintained his impressive record of at least one winner at each Dundalk meeting in 2017 as Rock In Peace justified favouritism in the Kelleher Insurances Rated Race.

The Kodiac gelding initiated a treble for the yard when making all earlier this month but came from off the pace on this occasion.

Colin Keane ’s mount got to the front inside the final 150 yards, and stayed on gamely to beat George Boole by half a length. Sweetasever didn’t enjoy the clearest of passages and was a further length and a half away in third.

Lyons’ brother and assistant Shane said, “That was a very gutsy win. He was good over seven furlongs, and we were worried about the mile but he’s stayed on best there.

“He’s after getting a lot of confidence from his previous race, and we’ll keep trying if there are races for him for the rest of the winter as he seems to be thriving at home. There is no point stopping when they are in that form.

“We don’t have much more to run here, we’ll have one or two for each meeting but they are going with chances.”