The Bear Trap and Nathan Crosse (yellow) beat Prince Of Eyeries (right)© Photo Healy Racing
The Bear Trap had to survive a stewards enquiry to gain an overdue win in the seven furlong maiden at Dundalk.
John Geoghegan 's charge travelled strongly throughout and was produced to challenge, by Nathan Crosse, between horses inside the final furlong.
He gave long-time leader Prince Of Eyeries a bump when hanging left in the closing stages and got on top from that rival late on to secure a neck success, at odds of 7/1.
It was a first win at the 18th attempt for The Bear Trap, who had been placed on six previous occasions.
Geoghegan said: "We are delighted to get a maiden out of him. We thought he would have won by now.
"He got chinned on the line here last year and he had been unlucky in a few handicaps. He ran in two handicaps up the Curragh and got stopped one day. The next day he got knocked out after two furlongs, so his race was over.
"He is a bit of a monkey. With the visor back on today, he put it all in. He battled well enough too.
"I think he was (on top at the line). When he went, Nathan put down his stick so I hope we will be okay - they are hard to get! It is great to get a win.
"He'll be kept going up here, we'll see what the handicapper does. He is 67 and is probably going to go up. he had come down a couple of pounds.
"We stuck him in this, we just said we would put him in and see what the opposition was going to be like. When they were in around 70, 71 and 72, it was winnable."
(Quotes by Michael Graham)
