Togoville sets bar higher with 11th Dundalk win

Togoville set the bar slightly higher as the winningmost horse at Dundalk today as the Anthony McCann trained gelding registered his 11th success at the venue in the opening Coral Smart Money Series Handicap.

The nine year old became the first horse to win ten races on the all-weather at Dundalk on February 15 and today notched his 11th success when arriving in the nick of time to edge ahead of Nigg Bay close home and score a short-head win under jockey Andrew Slattery.

Delighted winning trainer McCann later stated “I actually thought he had won a bit further when he passed me at the furlong pole.

“We've changed tactics on him. Everyone was telling me that he needs to be out in front. The last night we took our time - maybe it's not ideal over five furlongs.

“He's not a bad horse. It might not have been as good a race as it was last year. It was a last minute thing to enter him.

“I wasn't supposed to run him this week as there is a mile next week but it takes nothing out of him and he's a very easy horse to train.

“It's not down to the trainer, it's the horse and all we have to do is keep him right, keep him sound and feed him well.

“We changed a lot of things last year, he's bedded on paper and moved down to a different barn. He's a different horse now this year. It's credit to the horse and credit to Patrick McCann (owner), it's just a pity he wasn't here tonight as he's away on business.”

Togoville has now moved two winners clear of other Dundalk course-specialists He's Our Music, Sharjah Reckless Lad, Six Silver Lane and Shake The Bucket which are each currently still racing and are on the nine-winner mark at the Co Louth venue.

Quotes from Gary Carson