Dundalk success for Abbaye hero Whelan

Two short-heads separated the first three horses in Dundalk's BetVictor Handicap today, with jockey Ronan Whelan riding his first winner, Eagle's Flight since Sunday's heroics on Prix de l'Abbaye winner A Case Of You.

Similarly, but with significantly less drama to Longchamp, Whelan produced today's winning son of Gleneagles to lead at the line, defeating runner-up Ozymandis and third-placed Punk Poet

Winning trainer Michael Halford later commented “it worked out lovely for him. He's a horse that has been plagued with bad luck, bad draws and getting boxed in in big fields.

“I said to his owner one of these days it's going to fall right for him and today was the day.

“He's in the horses-in-training sales. He's a smashing horse, a horse that I'm very fond of and it would have been an injustice if we couldn't win another one with him.

“I'm delighted for his owner/breeder Johnny Connaughton, we had Bear Story win for him recently as well. The man has been patient and it's good to see him getting rewarded.”

Quotes from Gary Carson