Abbaye pair on the mark with Skontonovski

Prix de l'Abbaye winners trainer Ado McGuinness and jockey Ronan Whelan were on the mark again at Dundalk today as Skontonovski registered a third win in two months in the BetVictor Proud To Support Racing Handicap (div I).

Jockey Whelan, earlier successful on the Michael Halford trained Kalaroun gradually made his way through the field on the son of Harbour Watch, which led inside the final furlong and eventually scored by a length and a quarter from Caesar's Comet

It was Skontonovski's third win since being purchased by current connections for just 6,500gns in July and McGuinness later stated “we ran him on soft ground (at Bellewstown) and he probably just didn’t handle it. We gave him a week off and freshened him up.

“He was very impressive the last day we ran him here and when he was still in this grade we thought we’d try it once more. He quickened up lovely and he’s probably just a step above these horses.

“Hopefully the handicapper won’t be too hard on him and we’ll tip away here for the winter. He’s improving all the time.”

Quotes from Alan Magee