Lyons says Heliac has bright future after landing Dundalk feature race

‘THE future is bright for her – it takes a nice three-year-old to win this race,’ declared trainer Ger Lyons after Heliac (5/1) had won the feature race at Dundalk on Friday, the €50,000 Irish Stallion Farms EBF ‘Red God’ Handicap.

The filly, who was ridden by Chris Hayes, is owned by Price Khalid Abdulla, with whom Ger has enjoyed Group One success this season with unbeaten twoyear-old, Siskin.

Heliac provided Ger with his fifth winner at Dundalk since the track reopened on September 20th.

After two very good turf runs, Now The King confirmed his promise by landing the card’s opening race, the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Median Auction Maiden, in good style in the hands of Leigh Roche as a well-supported 15/8 favourite.

The Michael O’Callaghan-trained winner holds an entry for next year’s Irish 2,000 Guineas so is clearly held in some regard.

Similarly impressive and well-backed was Camachita (4/5f) in winning the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Median Auction Maiden in the hands of leading apprentice Andrew Slattery. The Johnny Murtaghtrained filly had finished second in two of her three latest starts but made no mistake tonight on what was her first run at Dundalk.

This win moved Andrew two ahead (3937) of Oisin Orr in the battle for the Irish Flat Apprentice Jockeys Championship.

Donnacha O’Brien reduced the gap between him and Colin Keane at the top of the Irish Flat Jockeys Senior Championship to one (95-94) when Dancing On A Dream (7/1) won the BetVictor Bet €5 Get €40 Offer Handicap for his brother Joseph.

The winner is owned by Peter Savill, who was on hand with his daughter Jessica to receive the winner’s trophy. Peter’s maroon silks with light blue sleeves have been carried to victory by such a horse as Celtic Swing, the outstanding British two-year-old of 1994 that went on to win the 1995 French Derby.

A run of 13 second-place finishes for trainer Damian English came to an end when Trading Point (12/1) won the Crowne Plaza Race & Stay Package Handicap in the hands of Ronan Whelan.

The winner, who is owned by the Galaxy Horse Racing Syndicate, had finished second on his first run for Damian, which came in the Irish Lincoln. He prevailed tonight by a head from the Anthony McCann-trained Mutadaawel in what was a thrilling finish to the €17,000 contest.

The biggest-priced winner of the evening was 33/1 chance Sweet Dime in the appropriately-named Lengthen The Odds With BetVictor Apprentice Handicap. Trained by Jessica Harrington, Sweet Dime was ridden by Alan Glynn, who was registering his first win for Jessica and his third in total. He recently began riding out for the stable, a move that has clearly worked well.

Division One of the Crowne Plaza Leading Jockey & Trainer Championships Handicap went to 10/1 chance Tartlette, trained by Shane Crawley and ridden by Seamie Heffernan, and the second division went to 16/1 chance Rockview Roman, who is trained by John McConnell, who also saddled the third- and fifth-placed horses in the race, and ridden by Wayne Lordan.

Tartlette, who is owned by the Eyeroller Syndicate, was racing for the first time for Shane, who bought her for 11,000 guineas from the yard of English trainer Hughie Morrison.

Rockview Roman, who is owned by the Let’s Get Lucky Syndicate, has been nursed back from a serious cut injury. Everyone’s patience was rewarded with this win and, in John’s words, “Hopefully he’ll make up for lost time now”.

Dundalk will race again this Friday when the card will carry €161,000 in prize-money and feature the €75,000 Al Basti Equiworld Mercury Stakes. The first race is scheduled for 5:45pm, earlier if a race divides.

Another very good card of racing lies ahead under the lights at Dundalk.