My Good Brother is clear of his rivals close home© Photo Healy Racing
The Ian Brennan ridden My Good Brother ran out an easy winner of the opener at Dundalk this afternoon, the Marshes Shopping Centre Handicap over five furlongs.
Carrying bottom weight, the Tom McCourt trained gelding opened at 11/2 this morning but drifted on-course from 13/2 out to 7/1.
Settled in second, the son of Elusive City hit the front in the early straight and he kept on well under pressure, drawing clear in the final furlong to score by five and a half lengths. Knock Stars finished second at 11/2 under Chris Hayes for Pat Martin while Alamadaa (4/1) was a further length back in third under Connor King for David Marnane.
The Damien English trained All Ablaze was sent off the well-backed 7/2 favourite (6/1 this morning and opened at 5s on-course) but he disappointingly finished last, after attempting to make all under Rory Cleary
The successful four-year-old was recording his third career success today, with his two previous victories coming late last year at Wolverhampton and over the course.
Tom McCourt said afterwards: "He travelled seriously well. We’ve always thought plenty of him but he has been a bit disappointing.
"He’s had issues with his muscles and we’ve had the acupuncturist working on him. He was inclined to get unbalanced and hang.
"He is a bit better on the all-weather than grass.
"His owner, Oliver Curtis, is from Ardee and he has had horses with me for fifteen to twenty years."
Additional reporting by Michael Graham
