Win brings up big milestone for Togoville

RACING Weekend returns from Dundalk

TOGOVILLE became the first horse to win 10 races on the Polytrack surface at Dundalk Stadium when he landed last Friday evening’s feature race, the €26,000 Coral Best Price Guaranteed All UK & Irish Races Handicap.

Trained by Anthony McCann and owned by Patrick McCann (no relation), the evergreen nineyear-old has now won at least one race each year since 2014, with the exception of 2016. The winning rider, Andrew Slattery, at 17 years of age is not too much older than the grey warrior!

Anthony said after the race: ‘Brilliant! Andrew gave him a great ride. He’s a tough cookie. I was very lucky to get him, I’m very grateful to the owner and his family for supporting me.’

Togoville joined Anthony in November 2017. The first seven wins of his career came for trainer Georgios Pakidis.

Togoville’s success quite rightly brought the house down and this was the second time he had won this race in the last three years. Last year he finished second. Those who stayed loyal to him on Friday were rewarded with a price of 33/1.

The last 12 months have been very fruitful for County Dublin-based trainer Ado McGuinness and he secured his fifth winner at the stadium this year, and jockey Tom Madden his fourth, when Hee Haw (7/1) landed the card’s opener, the Smart Money’s On Coral Handicap.

That’s 21 winners

Friday

for Ado at RACE 1 Hour Glasscurtis won in 22.03 for Leslie Watson and Downpatrick trainer Damian Maginn

Race 2 Harton Jet won in 21.84 for Mr. N. mcGregor and agent Harry Benson

Race 3 Tiffany Victoria won in 22.25 for Samuel Victoria (Antrim)

Race 4 Group Doll won in 21.98 for Clare Maguire and Belfast trainer Michael McNeice Race 5 Robbies Turbo won in 21.44 for Shea Campbell (Armagh)

Race 6 Eaton Meadow won in 21.28 for Jackie Kerr (Portglenone)

Race 7 Drumcrow Expert won in 21.65 for Roy Ruddy (Dungannon) Dundalk in the last 14 months, an impressive haul and Hee Haw’s win also meant that seven of Ado’s last ten runners at Dundalk had finished in the money.

Despite the presence of a strong Joseph O’Brien-trained favourite, Jim Bolger’s Laethanta Saoire was backed from 4/1 to 2/1 in the Coral Free Bets For Lengths Maiden. The money was well-placed, but only just as Kevin Manning got the daughter of New Approach home by a neck from the Ellmarie Holden-trained newcomer Avigale, with the favourite back in fourth.

Being by an Epsom Derby winner out of Saoire, who won the Irish 1,000 Guineas in 2005, the winner is beautifully bred and this success will further increase her value as a broodmare.

Jim completed a double on the night when New Vocation (8/1), who was trying tonight’s trip for just the second time, made just about all the running to win the card’s final, the NR Rubber Products Handicap in the hands of apprentice Willie Byrne

Jim Bolger just missed out on a treble when Latchet was beaten a neck by Masalai in the first division of the Coral Bet £5 Get £20 In Free Bets Handicap. Trained by Eddie Lynam, owned by his wife Aileen and ridden by Oisin Orr, Masalai, whose numerous close relations include Dermot Weld’s Group One winner Definite Article, was winning for the second time at Dundalk and was the only winning favourite of the evening.

The race’s second division Race 8 Quiet Knight won in 22.00 for Mark McCusker (Laurencetown)

Race 9 Miss Fonz won in 22.11 for Catherine Callaghan (Craigavon)

Race 10 Trewmount Tom won in 22.32 for Four-Likely-Lads-Syndicate and Coalisland trainer Brian Robinson

Saturday

RACE 1 Fatboyz Shade won in 21.73 for Mark McKay & Richard Carberry and Dungannon John McKay

Race 2 Doubt Ya Boy won in 21.73 for Mark Toal and Armagh trainer Aidan McVeigh Race 3 Kellsboro Sasha won in 29.30 for Ned Walsh and Belfast trainer Michael McNeice Race 4 Lyras Product won in 29.38 for Adrian Markey (Newry) went the way of the Billy Fitzpatrick-trained Crossingoz (5/1), who registered a second career win, both of them at Dundalk, when winning in the hands of Conor Hoban.

Another horse that loves Dundalk is Park Row (13/2) and he registered a sixth success at the stadium when winning the €17,500 Coral Download The App Handicap for his trainer Denis Coakley and Denis’s son, jockey Ross.

‘I’ll be hoarse that’, said Denis. liant’.

A thrilling finish to the James Watters Wholesale Maiden saw the 4/7 favourite Hazel Bay just edged out by May Peace Prevail (5/1), who is trained by Andrew McNamara and was ridden by Colin Keane, who kept up his record of riding a winner at Dundalk at each meeting since he returned to action on February 1st.

Andrew said afterwards: ‘He’s a big beautiful horse and is for sale now. I think he’ll have no problem stepping into Listed class.’

Colin will be hoping to keep his run going at Dundalk’s next fixture, which is scheduled for this coming Friday, with the first race due off at 5.30pm (5pm if a race divides).

The feature race will be the €26,000 Bruce Betting Download The App Handicap.

The following Friday, March 1st, will see this year’s running of the Kentucky Derby qualifier, a night that was such a roaring success last year. for days after ‘He’s just bril- Race 5 Old Fort Pio won in 21.45 for Tony Teague (Omagh) Race 6 Drumcrow Trump won in 21.47 for Roy Ruddy (Dungannon)

Race 7 Geedee Allstar won in 29.11 for GeeDee-Racing-Syndicate and Rathkenny trainer Martin Lanney

Race 8 Star Luck won in 29.29 for Eddie Rushe (Craigavon) Race 9 Hee Haws Fedor won in 21.68 for Ciaran Burke and Tara trainer Ian Reilly

Race 10 Lugs Branno won in 21.26 for Leo McNulty & Eugene McNulty and Clare trainer Donal Cooney

Race 11Beaming Rainbow won in 30.51 for Adrian Hall (Larne) Race 12 Buckos Ava won in 28.84 for The-Lyric-Racing-Syndicate and Rathkenny trainer Martin Lanney