More success for local owners as Doctor Grace takes the spoils at Dundalk Stadium

The stars certainly aligned last Friday night at Dowdallshill when Doctor Grace (5/2) won the Book Online at DundalkStadium.com Handicap for the Dundalk Racing Club.

One of racing’s longest-standing syndicates, the club is headed up by Dundalk Stadium director Colm McCourt, who for good measure also bred Doctor Grace.

The horse is named after the recently-retired Grace Kenny, who formerly worked as a doctor at the Stadium. As you can imagine, her success was extremely well received.

Winning trainer Michael Halford said, “She’s game and tries hard and loves this surface.”

The in-form winning jockey Billy Lee was completing a double on the card following the emphatic success of News At Ten (9/4) in the card’s mile maiden. Owned and trained by Michael O’Callaghan, the winner has plenty of size and scope to him and can surely keep on progressing.

Lee said afterwards: “He picked up well. He’s a nice horse – one to look forward to.”

John McConnell continued his good recent form with another winner. Having scored with Rockview Consort recently at the track, he followed up here with Mulgrave (4/1), who was ridden by Donagh O’Connor, in the Irishinjuredjockeys.com Handicap.

John also won last week with Jackpot de Choisel, a runaway winner at Ayr in Scotland.

Trainer Ado McGuinness registered his third success this year at Dundalk when Bowerman (8/1), who was ridden by Chris Hayes, just got the better of 13/8 favourite Firstman in the card’s 12-furlong handicap.

It was a welcome return to form for the nine-year-old, who was recording an eleventh career success – five of them coming at Dundalk – and for whom retirement had recently been considered.

Ado said afterwards, ”He’s been some servant to us and he deserves a good life when he is finished, which will probably be at some stage this year.”

Sheila Lavery looks to have a nice filly on her hands judging by the win of Solar Breeze (11/2), who is owned by the Royal Racing Club, in the card’s mile maiden for fillies.

Having been placed in maidens at Naas and The Curragh, the winner, who is a four-year-old but has run just nine times, brought a decent level of form into tonight’s contest.

“She has been unlucky not to win a race,“ said Sheila, adding, “She did that really well and we’ll now take a look at the racing programme. Robbie (Colgan, winning jockey) said she liked the surface here.”

The same can be said of Mehman (7/5 fav) in the card’s opening race, a five-furlong handicap.

He has now won three times from three runs at Dundalk and, based on the smooth nature of this success, is not done with winning yet.

Winning trainer Ger O’Leary said, “He travelled like a dream (for jockey Mark Enright). We’ll come back here in two weeks for a five-furlong race (for horses rated 0-95).”

For good measure, Ger was also responsible for the race’s runner-up, Aloysius Lilius.

Local trainer George Kingston made it two winners from as many runners at Dundalk when Wonder Spirit (12/1) won the first division of the Follow Us On Twitter @DundalkStadium Handicap in the hands of James Ryan.

George had won the card’s finale the previous Friday with Hero Of The Hour, which is pretty good going as he only trains two horses.

After praising the ride that the horse was given, George said, “We only have two to run, with a couple of horses to break in, but we keep trucking away. Two from two will do.”

The second division of the race went to Barretstown (8/1), who is trained by former top-class jump jockey Conor O’Dwyer and was ridden by his son, Charlie.

The winner is owned by a member of his former owners, the Ladies First Syndicate, Anne Kane, along with her husband Hugo.

“I’m delighted that Anne kept him”, said Conor. “The winner was game today and we now have more options.” This was Barretstown’s first win at today’s trip be 10 furlongs and 150 yards.