Trainer Michael Halford skipped to his 301st Dundalk success today with Kampala Beach s win in the Christmas Party Nights At Dundalk Handicap (div I), proving this afternoon's second consecutive well-backed winner.

Kampala Beach's profile was similar to earlier-race winner and gambled Musical Rhapsody in that his previous below-par runs were on testing ground, and was backed from morning-price 9/1 and returned 3/1.

Ridden by Ronan Whelan the son of Belardo scored by three-parts of a length from Numidia

Group 1 winner Halford missed a publicity open goal last week, something many would have taken, and today modestly mentioned “this place has been very good to us over the years and we had our 300th winner here last week.”

He added “after this horse ran here last autumn we weren’t sure if he stayed or not but he’s just a big, weak horse and is better suited by that surface.

“It has just taken a while to work him out and I thank Mark Phelan for being so patient with him. He’s a great owner and I’m delighted to have a winner for him. I think he’ll have plenty of fun with him and he has the size and scope to progress. He can only get stronger.”

Quotes from Alan Magee