Merry Mast has plenty smiling at Dundalk

After the eclipse of two well-backed market-leaders, Andy Slattery's Merry Mast came to the rescue of favourite backers in the third on the polytrack, the Champions Restaurant At Dundalk Stadium Handicap.

In first-time cheek-pieces Merry Mast (100/30 into 2/1 on course) got a lovely ride from the ever impressive Billy Lee and he always looked happy on the American-bred.

However when fellow County Tipperary runner Amazing Star (very well-punted also) came with a storming run from over a furlong out he looked a likely winner.

Hailing from a yard that set Cheltenham hero Faugheen on the road to stardom, Merry Mast pulled out enough to ward off the danger by a head.

Slattery reflected: "I thought he'd have won before now and the money has been down before.

"He only cost fifteen hundred and I said he'd win a race so the pressure is off now.

"His owner Michael Quinlan is a son in law of the late Michael Purcell (of Buck House fame).

"That's a bit of a monkey off my back as all the horses were sick over the winter." (AM & EM)