The handicapper earned himself a pat on the back as five horses flashed past the post in a bunch finish to the six furlong handicap at Dundalk that was won by Lottie Dod Grey Danube broke well and was bustled into the lead by Kevin Manning. The five-year-old gelding, trained by Darren Bunyan, attracted plenty of money throughout the day but was a market drifter from 7/2 to 9/2.

He opened up a clear lead in the home straight, however, a wall of horses in behind started to get interested approaching the furlong pole.

As Grey Danube was reeled in, Charles O’Brien’s Lottie Dod (5/1) stuck out her head determinedly to score by a neck from Harry Trotter (4/1) with a head back to 7/1 Fleet Captain in third.

Winning jockey Fran Berry said: “Charles said she’s in a lot better form than last year. She’s a lot more relaxed. She used to get very worked up in the preliminaries, but she behaved today.

“I thought I’d win two furlongs out, but she probably hit a flat spot. Whenever horses came round her she was game and battled on.

“It’s great to get brackets with her as she’s well bred and Group 1 placed [third in the Phoenix Stakes in August 2012].”

Lottie Dod holds an entry in the Group 3 Gladness Stakes at the Curragh in April. The four-year-old filly was coming off a break of 261 days. This was her first win on her ninth start.

Harry Trotter, who was narrowly foiled, was a steamer in the market from 12s to 8s before racing and then 8/1 to 4/1 in the ring. She’s Not Simple was left at the start as she stayed in the stalls.

Additional reporting by Gary Carson