Beggy back in the winners enclosure

Chatterton provided Padraig Beggy with a welcome change of fortune when taking the Christmas Party Nights At Dundalk Stadium Handicap.

The Dunboyne native, recording his first Irish winner in four years, has endured a lean spell in recent times and only returned to race-riding last month after serving a cumulative year ban for a failed drug test and giving false evidence in Australia.

Beggy has been riding out in Ballydoyle since the start of the year, and partnered the Aidan O'Brien-trained Facade to finish second in the Listed Cooley Stakes here less than a fortnight ago.

A graduate of RACE and successfully associated with the Kevin Prendergast yard as an apprentice, Beggy showed plenty of strength to get the Paul Flynn-trained gelding up inside the final 100 yards. Red Words was a length and a quarter back in second, with Tansanite another length away in third.

There was a poignant note to the victory as racing journalist Damien McElroy, representing owner Anton Glynn, explained, "The man who owned him (Stan Glynn) was buried today in Cong, County Mayo.

"He transferred the horse to his brother Anton a fortnight ago, before his last run, as he knew he was dying."

Beggy said, "I had my suspension and only took out the licence again six weeks ago.

"I'm working down in Ballydoyle and have been there since January. Paul has always been very good to me and I'm delighted to ride a winner for him."

(GC & AM)