GER Lyons and Colin Keane were in double-winning form on the Polytrack with Madam Celeste (9/4) and Pier Pressure (10/3).

Lyons’ stable has started the Winter Series well and newcomer Madam Celeste showed her resolution in battling past Raknah inside the final furlong of the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden over a mile.

After the daughter of Galileo came in by a length for Newtown Anner Stud Farm Ltd, assistant trainer Shane Lyons said: “Ger is adamant to get these two-year-olds out for a run before he puts them away, so they know their job for next year.

“She is entered in the Irish Oaks and she has the breeding for a mile and a half. She has got that out of the way and I’d say she is a mile and a quarter filly and she’ll tell us what she wants to do then.”

Pier Pressure collared Hightimeyouwon in the closing stages of the Christmas Party Nights At Dundalk Rated Race to pass the post half a length up on that rival.

Confidence

Assistant trainer Lyons said: “He definitely got confidence from his victory the last day. The blinkers definitely helped.

“Mark (Breen) that owns him is in America and has been over to us a couple of times from America, he is a lovely man. He is not in the best of health at the minute and it will be a great tonic for him.

“He is a horse that will be sold, only at the right price. He is working his way up having fun and he is proving that he is a stalwart on this surface.”

HUGH Horgan earned praise from owner/trainer Shane Crawley after getting Trishuli River up by a head in the Gateway Hotel Race & Stay Dundalk Apprentice Handicap over the mile.

The jockey weaved a passage through on the first reserve and the 14/1 shot made headway between horses a furlong down and finished well when she hit the front over a 100 yards out.

Crawley said: “This lad can ride, he is very strong in a finish too. He knows what he is about and he can talk through a race and he has a plan going out. He gives a trainer great confidence, I think.

“Great win for the stallion, Poet’s Word, as well. It is seemingly his first winner in Ireland. He has a great strike record in England.”

Irish debut

Miss Paloma belied an absence of 773 days to strike on her Irish debut in the Irishinjuredjockeys.com Handicap over an extended 10 furlongs.

Formerly with Sir Mark Prescott, for whom she was placed over an extended mile and a half on her last start at Newcastle in October 2021, she attracted some support from 33/1 to 20/1.

Henry de Bromhead’s mare disputed the lead and raced second at the halfway stage. Gary Carroll drove her into a narrow lead in the final 100 yards and the duo kept on to score by half a length.

Carroll, in E J Lawson Maher’s colours, said: “She was off 65 in England and she was down to 60 there. She jumped well and travelled nicely. We probably went easy and she galloped to the line really strongly.

“She is a filly that will probably enjoy going a mile and a half.”

Breakthrough

Dermot Weld’s Taraj (11/8 favourite) made the breakthrough at the third time of asking in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF (C&G) Maiden.

Chris Hayes made headway on the Churchill juvenile and the pair hit the front a furlong out. They kept on well to run home by two and a half lengths for Jastar Capital Limited.

Hayes said: “He’s a lovely horse and we always thought a lot of him. It is very unlike the boss to keep one as nice as that to run the last week in November.

“I’ve no doubt he is a stakes horse. The boss could freshen him up and he could be one for a Madrid Handicap or a Tetrarch.”

BILLY Lee got his fractions spot on off the front on No Speed Limit in the Dundalk Stadium Celebrates 20 Years 29th November Handicap.

The eight-year-old gelding was there to be challenged, but found for Lee and hit the line half a length to the good at 13/2 for trainer Patrick McKenna and owner Conor McKenna.

Lee said: “He took me well into the straight and I brought him to the outside of it and he has picked up. He was just in good form and everything fell into place nicely.”

Nusra was strong in division 1 of the Book Online At DundalkStadium.com Handicap over a mile and a-half. The 16/1 chance progressed to third a couple of furlongs from home and was ridden by Shane Foley to lead a furlong down. From there, she wasn’t going to be beaten as she moved two-and-a-half-lengths clear for owner Mrs Marie Gubbins.

Worth the wait

Trainer Garrett Ahern said: “She won in Ffos Las. It is just so hard to get into races (here) - two weeks we were trying to get in. It was worth the wait.

“She had form here and we’ll try and find something else for her up here. She is for sale.”

Mags Mullins winner

Division 2 went the way of Mags Mullins’ Spinning Web (5/1) who prevailed for the Barrow Vale Syndicate.

The three-year-old gelding was half a length too good for Clever Currency after catching him in the final 100 yards.

Jockey Niall McCullagh said: “I always felt I was going to get there and, when I grabbed a hold of him and gave him a few flicks, he came alive. He just reserves all his energy.”