Oscar Dominguez illuminates Dundalk

Oscar Dominguez with his four white socks, cut a dash as he stretched away from his rivals to emphatically land the mile nursery in Dundalk.

The son of Zoffany was popular with punters throughout the day as he was backed from 9/4 to 5/4 but he was a bit easier to back at the track in going off the 15/8 favourite.

This was his first step into handicap company after three runs in maidens for Aidan O'Brien that yielded a sixth and two fifth places.

Donnacha O'Brien had him racing in fifth just on the heels of the leaders as the field swept past the four furlong pole.

In the straight he switched him left and bustled him along with a quarter of a mile to travel. He was soon ridden to hit the front and strode away in the final furlong to win comfortably by three lengths. Dashing Chief at 25/1 came in second. He was a length and a quarter ahead of Hot To The Touch (11/1).

Donnacha O'Brien said: "I was looking at his price beforehand and couldn't believe he was 5/4. Obviously the punters knew something I didn't!

"He surprised me. He had run nicely in his maidens but nothing like that and obviously he stepped up a good bit."

Additional reporting by Gary Carson