Boirche leads Halford challenge Michael Halford is enjoying another tremendous winter season on the Polytrack at Dundalk, and he's represented by Banna Boirche in the featured Christmas Race & Dine Packages Handicap this Friday. The eight-year-old gelding was part of the Halford team in Dubai earlier this year, and made an encouraging return to action at Dundalk last month when keeping on behind Misty Lane. Banna Boirche has been a great servant to the yard over the years with nine victories to-date, and held a career-high rating of 106 at one point. A current mark of 95 certainly gives him a chance, with Shane Foley likely to produce the veteran with a customary late challenge. Akasaka, who was claimed out of Eddie Lynam's yard last month and made a promising debut for new trainer Emmet Butterly when runner-up to Dolce N Karama here recently, is among his six rivals while Specific Gravity and Antiquus are others to consider. Halford and Foley also team up in the concluding Dundalk Stadium - Light Up You Night Rated Race with Cebuano. The nine-year-old son of Fraam was last successful off a 6lb higher mark over course and distance around this time last year, and should be competitive here judged on a close-up third to Hes Our Music last month. Elsewhere on this seven-race card, former champion apprentice Connor King has a number of good mounts on Sassy But Classy and Merry Mast. The Kyllachy juvenile Sassy But Classy has no shortage of experience in the opening Dundalk Stadium Maiden, with Knoxville Bullet likely to provide the chief threat in this five-furlong sprint. King is also aboard Merry Mast in the www.dundalkstadium.com Handicap and the Andy Slattery-trained gelding, who can give trouble at the start, ran a cracker when third to Noverre Princess here last week.
