Red All Star, second right, gets the job done© Photo Healy Racing
Gerry Keane's Red All Star brought up plenty of bets when battling well to win the second race at Laytown.
The seven-year-old gelding soon led in this six-furlong handicap under Keane's son Colin but Rosenborg Rider provided a stiff challenge.
The latter threw down the gauntlet in the final quarter of a mile and got his head in front well inside the final furlong. However, Red All Star battled back in the closing to stages to get up by a neck at 9/2 from 13/2.
Rosenborg Rider dropped to fourth in the final strides as second home Boxer Dunford (14/1) and third-placed Free To Roam (13/2) finished strongly.
The distances between the first four were a neck, a head and a head.
Gerry Keane said: "We tried him on the grass but it didn't work out as every time we ran the ground was gone for him.
“At Down Royal the last day he was a bit disappointing but he was a bit caught up after it. We gave him a break to freshen him up and the only thing I was afraid of was that I had left him too short.
“He's probably better fresh anyway and coming back to that surface did the trick.
“He was in really good form and that might be the best way to have him.
“We'll tip away in Dundalk now as he did well there last year. The ground will be gone for him on the turf now anyway.
“We were getting him ready for Dundalk as this came up, I didn't think he would get in.”
Additional reporting by Gary Carson
