Patrick Street got his handicap career off to a winning start when landing the Dundalk Winter Series Trainer & Jockey Championship Handicap in the hands of Mikey Sheehy.

Just six went to post in this three-year-old event and, after topweight Mercurial had taken them along at a good clip, five of the runners were virtually in a line at the furlong pole.

The Pat Martin-trained gelding challenged widest on the track and asserted inside the final 100 yards to beat Mercurial by two lengths. Obliviate came home nicely just a head further back in third.

Martin was saddling his third winner here this year and said, “We've always liked him, he's a very laidback horse and doesn't do an awful lot at home. He ran a lovely race the last day and I was encouraged by that.

“We didn't have many options, I would have preferred to run him in a lower grade race but there wasn't one until next month so we said we'd take our chance and see how we got on today.

“He would have learned something even if he didn't perform today and it's great to get that. Mikey is riding at the top of his game.

“I said if he didn't have the pace early not to panic and he did everything really well. He's a nice sort of a horse with a good attitude.”

(GC & AM)