Great Dancer and Shane Foley (near) © Photo Healy Racing
Mick Halford and Shane Foley kept up the good work after their treble at Dundalk on Wednesday when Great Dancer put another one on the scoreboard for Copper Beech Stables in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden.
The juvenile did enough when second last time to suggest he would be a force to be reckoned with, though he went off at 13-8 as the market preferred Solomon Northup who had finished last of six in the Beresford Stakes at Group Two level.
The pair fought out the finish and though Solomon Northup held the upper hand as they headed into the final furlong, Foley kept Great Dancer up to his work to grab the prize close home by half a length.
Reggie Roberts' splendid mare Misty Lane (7-1) backed up last month's victory at the track by taking the www.dundalkstadium.com Handicap in the hands of Leigh Roche.
Always prominent, she challenged long-time leader Strait Of Zanzibar a quarter of a mile out and having got the better of that opponent, battled on with commendable spirit to hold the persistent favourite Rummaging by a neck.
The other main prize was for the Dundalk Stadium Racecourse Of The Year Handicap and it went to Johnny Murtagh's bottom-weight Hardstone (11-2), who led all the way under Niall McCullagh and had enough in the locker to hold Gold Focus by a length.
Chris Hayes landed a double begun when he pulled out all the stops to get Patrick Prendergast's juvenile Daisy Bell (8-1) home a head in front in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden after a rare tussle with newcomer Knoxville Bullet
The jockey then drove Times In Anatefka into the lead well inside the final furlong in the Crowne Plaza Hotel Race & Stay Handicap, the post coming just in time for Adrian Joyce's 10-1 shot, who held Hi Empress s late rush by a head.
Pat Flynn's 5-2 favourite Almosthaditall broke her duck at the 12th attempt in the Floodlit Friday Nights At Dundalk Handicap, attacking down the inside under John Egan and running on well to score by two lengths.
