"That's a surprise. He's always worked well at home since he was second earlier this year.

"We put blinkers on the last time but he ran away. I was going to put on a pacifier today but because we declared blinkers we had to wear them again.

"Maybe next time he'll finish tailed off, he's that kind of horse," so said Takashi Kodama after Ross Coakley had ridden a winner on his Asian Wing in division two of the Christmas Race & Dine Apprentice Handicap at Dundalk.

Coakley got to the front on the Yoshihiro Shimizu-owned 25/1 shot a furlong out and he stayed on well to beat the favourite, Balmont Flyer by two and a quarter lengths. (AM & EM)