Whelan completes Dundalk double

Sunday's Prix de l'Abbaye winning jockey Ronan Whelan completed a double today, completing the feat in Dundalk's concluding Floodlit Fridays At Dundalk Handicap on for-sale Pin Your Hopes

The 79 rated son of Rock Of Gibraltar stayed on well to hold the challenge of 2019 Galway Hurdle winner Tudor City by half a length to provide Whelan with a double, having earlier won on the Michael Halford trained Eagle's Flight

Winning trainer Andy Oliver was strong in his praise for the winning rider and later reported “I thought Ronan gave him a great ride - I left the tactics up to him and he designed it himself.

“He's a stout stayer and when he hit the front, as Ronan said, he felt he was the best horse in the race. He just kept going and got it done, so all credit to Ronan.”

He added “he's been knocking on the door all year and we were hoping it would happen at some stage.

“He's in the horses-in-training and that will probably be his next engagement. I don't think there is an awful lot more here for him. He's a very sound, clear winded horse and I would put nobody off him. He has schooled, although we didn't venture that far with him. He's held his form all year and is a good thriving horse.”

Quotes from Gary Carson