Ms Thompson and Chris Hayes (left) dead heat with Solar System and Kevin Manning in the finale© Photo Healy Racing
The margins were a nose and a head in the first division, and the Find Us On Facebook @Dundalk Stadium Handicap (Div II) saw a dead heat as the judge couldn’t split Solar System (9/1, from 20s earlier) and Ms Thompson (10/3, from 13/2 in the morning).
The 11/4 favourite Magic Charm was back in third.
Solar System was having a first run for Warrenpoint handler Leanne Breen having started off with Jim Bolger, and the scopey Dawn Approach gelding showed the benefit of a recent run over two miles at this course when battling on well for Kevin Manning.
“It was his first run for me," said Breen.
“Mr. Bolger and Kevin have always been very enthusiastic about the horse and I think he'll just keep improving as he's a big raw three-year-old.
“Next year he'll hopefully be a nice horse.”
Chris Hayes was completing a double after winning the first division of this 1m2f handicap on Chateau Musar
Owned and trained by Sheila Lavery, Ms Thompson had shown a bit of promise when third over course and distance on her previous outing and she came from well back to share the spoils at the line.
“I'm delighted to take the dead-heat,” said Lavery.
“She's a bit timid among horses and Chris said she doesn't really help herself.
'We'll look at more of the same and he said he improved from her last run.
“I was running her on the wrong ground. She ran quite well as a two-year-old on soft and she's by Fast Company so I thought she wanted it soft.
“I didn't bother bringing her in until the end of the summer. You never stop learning in this game.”
Additional reporting by Gary Carson
