Nibiru and Daniel King © Photo Healy Racing
Nibiru recorded his sixth career win, evenly divided between the Flat and hurdles, when getting up on the line in the Floodlit Friday Nights At Dundalk Stadium Handicap.
The Tony Martin-trained gelding didn’t enjoy a clear run early in the straight, but a gap eventually arrived inside the final furlong.
Daniel King ’s mount really flew home and despite edging left in the closing stages, just got up on the line to deny 2/1 favourite Palace Rock by a nose. Celtic Revival was a length and a quarter away in third.
Owner John Breslin was on hand to lead in the 12/1 winner, who was available at 40/1 overnight and supported down from 28/1 on track.
Martin said, “I thought our chance was gone turning in, but it was probably the winning of the race for him, getting stopped.
“He's a horse with a nice bit of ability and it's great. He's a horse that has always promised to win good races and never delivered but it's lovely to get one like that.
“He has ability but he could go out the next day and let us down. He's just one of them horses.”
On whether he could run in the County Hurdle next month he added: “You never know, if the ground was good he might but I doubt if he'd get in.
“He's good enough to run in some of those nice handicaps along the way.”
Quotes by Gary Carson
