Hamilton gets it all together for Tight Times

Brian Hamilton brought Tight Times back from hurdling, he put the cheek-pieces on and booked champion jockey Joseph O'Brien to ride in division two of the Dundalk Stadium On Facebook Handicap. It all came together for the Helissio five-year-old who shed his maiden tag on start number fifteen. Crecora may have finished off fast down the outer as Colin Keane tried for a four-timer but she came up a length and a quarter short. Tight Times had always been to the fore and he took over entering the straight.

"The jockey made all the difference. I rang Kevin O'Ryan (jockey's agent) and I thought I would start at the top with Joseph or Pat Smullen and Joseph didn't have a ride in this race," revealed Hamilton.

"I hardly filled Kevin with confidence as this was a fact finding mission. He's been disappointing over hurdles but I thought he was reasonably well handicapped and I was trying to get the owners some prize-money.

"Brendan Quinn (owner) is from Newry and he bred him too.

"He's a horse that could do with a break now.

"We just put the cheek-pieces on to get him to travel." (MG & EM)