Colonel Brown took advantage of the misfortune of Poetry Man and Annaghmore Gale to claim an unlikely victory in the Oriel Beginners Chase at Dundalk last evening.
The latter pair looked sure to fight out the finish when entering the straight clear of their rivals, but the intervention of the riderless Malacca Hill quickly changed all that.
Veering across the track to avoid the penultimate obstacle, the chestnut did his best to take the leaders with him and succeeded in the case of favourite Annaghmore Gale, who was forced to run out.
Poetry Man just managed to stay on the right side of the wing, but it proved to be in vain as he clipped the top of the fence and came down, leaving David Casey's mount to coast home.
Ratoath Gale, in foal to Pistolet Bleu, is likely to have her final run at Tramore following her success in the Louth Handicap Chase. The Strong Gale mare kept on gamely to see off outsider Riverogan by 2 1/2 lengths.
Saddlers' Mark booked his ticket to the Galway Festival with an overdue win over timber in the Inishkeen Maiden Hurdle. 'He got a bad cut on his leg when falling at Fairyhouse in May, and that's why he hasn't run again until now,' revealed trainer Noel Meade.
