Dimitar powers home to score

Dimitar powered home inside the final furlong to take the first division of the mile handicap at Dundalk. Red Laser looked set to give trainer Mick Halford a treble when hitting the front a furlong out.

He couldn't hold the late charge of Dimitar, however, who got a strong drive from Wayne Lordan.

The Eddie Lynam-trained gelding got up in the closing stages for a length-and-a-quarter victory.

The winner was sent off the 9/2 second favourite. 3/1 favourite Confident Cub finished back in eighth.

Dimitar was opening his account at the tenth time of asking and eight of those starts have been at Dundalk.

"It's taken a while to say Dimitar scores!" joked Lynam in reference to the horse being named after Fulham player Dimitar Berbatov.

"He's a bit tricky but Wayne gets a good tune out of him. You nearly have to ride him like a dead one.

"He's in again on Friday but that is probably a bit soon and we may wait until the following Friday."

(Additional reporting by Alan Magee)