Mark too strong for well-touted Dragon

Sacred Dragon was the 'buzz' horse for Dundalk tonight, tumbling from double figure odds early this morning into 9/4 for the Crowne Plaza Hotel Race & Stay Maiden. The first-timer made a perfectly acceptable start to his racing life but the 'form horse,' Machete Mark proved superior by half a length.

The pair left Super Sling four and three parts of a length back in third.

In reality, those that made Machete Mark an 8/11 chance, from offers of evens in the shops, were always on pretty good terms with themselves.

Emmet McNamara was confidence personified on the twice previously raced gelding and he only had to do the bare minimum to get his mount home.

Glenburnie were on the mark at Meydan yesterday with Lily's Angel.

With Ger Lyons on duty in Dubai it was left to his brother Shane to say of Machete Mark: "He deserved to win that on his last run. The second in that (Elleval) has won since.

"We'll give him a break now. He'll come back and be campaigned in the summer from a mile to a mile and a quarter.

"I'm delighted for his owner, David Spratt – he's a real gentleman." (AM & EM)