Almadaa gets what he deserves

Punters latched on to the low-drawn horses in the Christmas Party Packages At Dundalk Stadium Handicap and they were proved spot-on. The winner, Almadaa (11/2 into 9/2) was drawn in one and the third placed Pierre D'Or (14s into 13/2) was boxed up next door in two. Calm Bay set the pace from stall five but Almadaa (put up by our own Alan Magee in the formscans) and Fergal Lynch got to him inside the last and went on to score by a length.

Trainer of Almadaa, David Marnane said: "That was no more than he deserved. It was his tenth time running here since Fergal started to ride him.

"He's been in the first three nine times and he was fourth in the other run.

"He is finishing his races off well and I think if the handicapper looks after him a bit he has a chance of winning another.

"He is only any good on the all-weather – he is useless on grass. Hopefully we'll have a good winter with him."

Lynch revealed in the aftermath that he'd been handed a whip by Johnny Murtagh on the way out to ride. He explained: "I was on the cold-list. I hadn't ridden a winner since Ursa Major in August and had gone over sixty rides without a winner." (GC & EM)