Byrne on the mark at Dundalk again

Tribes And Banner was a National Hunt horse to show his prowess in division one of the Christmas Party Packages At Dundalk Apprentice Handicap and it was more of the same in the second split when Michael Byrne's Knockgraffon Lad scored in style.

The big American-bred son of Forestry, led travelling well with over a quarter of a mile left to race under Colin Keane, and he stayed on well to beat Word For Word comfortably, by two and a quarter lengths.

County Tipperary handler Byrne, whose last winner was Amachine, here on September 28th 2007, said: "We were making the running with him when we should have been holding on to him.

"Really he's a chaser and that'll be his job next summer." (AM & EM)