VALIANT Force was the first leg of a Polytrack double for Adrian Murray and Wayne Lordan when running out a clear-cut winner of the Book Online @ DundalkStadium.com Race over six furlongs.

The 8/11 favourite made all in the hands of Lordan and asserted in the final furlong to stretch four and three quarter lengths clear of his rivals for Amo Racing Limited and Giselle De Aguiar.

Murray said: “When he came back from America, he was a bit off colour and it took a while to build him up and to build his confidence again. We are on the road now to getting there with him.

“There’s a stakes race in Cork at the beginning of the turf (season), so maybe something like that. Otherwise, there is a race in Newcastle for him on Good Friday.”

Blissful

Persian Bliss (7/2) brought up his third Dundalk success, all over different trips, in the William Hill Top Price Guarantee Handicap over two miles.

Lordan had him tracking Jerandme and sent him on two furlongs down. Pavilion End came with his challenge at the furlong pole, however, Persian Bliss found plenty in the closing stages to go on by two and a quarter lengths for Amo Racing Limited. Murray said: “He hit the line strong. He keeps surprising us. A beautifully relaxed horse.

“I think there might be a rated race back here for him in a couple of weeks time. I’d say good ground would be the key to him because his puff wouldn’t be the best.”

STEPHEN Thorne’s Perfect Judgement is really thriving over the mile trip on the Polytrack and sealed his hat-trick in the Put The Fun In Fundraising Dundalk Handicap for Shamrock Thoroughbreds.

Jamie Powell’s mount travelled well and made headway two furlongs from home before striking the front approaching the final furlong.

Elegant Madame made a race of it, but was a neck in arrears of the 3/1 shot at the line.

Assistant trainer Stephen Mooney said: “Jamie is brilliant on him, he has the knack to him. He keeps him on the bridle for as long as he can, and just puts his head down and gallops the whole way to the line.

“Lingfield (on Good Friday) is more than likely going to be on the agenda. As you can see, he is quite a small and nimble horse, and we feel like he would be well able to manage his way around that tight track in Lingfield. It is an obvious consideration.”

Serial winners

Jered Maddox is now an 11-time winner after he popped up at 6/1 in the Dundalk Winter Series Leading Trainer & Jockey Championship Handicap over five furlongs.

The nine-year-old gelding raced in rear and was asked for more entering the straight. He made progress a furlong down and rolled home best of all to get up in the closing stages. He took the honours by half a length for David Marnane and the City Equine II Syndicate.

Jockey Luke McAteer said: “In fairness to him, when you know he is right he will put it in and I actually should have won on him the last day here (third) - I just got there a bit soon.

“He’s funny, his first win over five (furlongs) came last April. I’d say watching him you’d think he is not going to get there, but he feels like he is always going to get there.”

Reeling it in

Cee En Gee is now two from two in Dundalk after being delivered close home in the Floodlit Fridays At Dundalk Race.

He dropped back from a mile to seven furlongs and the 4/7 favourite kept finding in the final furlong for Declan McDonogh as they reeled in Ze Do Asfalto by a neck for Joseph O’Brien and Philip Antonacci.

McDonogh said: “Tonight was a different ball game because we were coming back a furlong and the pace was on. It was a bit of a shock to him and I didn’t want to go chasing Seamie (Heffernan on Ze Do Asfalto) first quarter of a mile.

“I just let him get comfortable and control the race where I was, and hoped that he would come back to me a little bit. He showed a great will to win, got stuck in.”

McDonogh picked up a two-day ban for frequency with the whip aboard the winner.

LITTLE Keilee got back to winning ways in the Dundalkstadium.com Apprentice Handicap over a mile.

Adam Caffrey had her in mid-division and the pair made their move in the straight. Further forward momentum saw them take over on the run to the final furlong and the 5/1 chance kept on well to see off Rockbury Lad by three-quarters of a length for the Slum Dog Racing Syndicate.

Ciaran Murphy said: “I think the strong gallop suited her and she had something to aim at. We knew she was in good form coming this evening so, if she brings her ‘A’ game, it gives you a great chance.

“Adam was very good and very patient and very strong. He speaks for himself, the season he had last season. He hasn’t ridden much for us, but we are delighted with that.”

Omakase had an unusual path towards making the breakthrough in the Find Us On Facebook @DundalkStadium Handicap over a mile and a half.

Darragh O’Sullivan brought the seven-year-old mare to challenge inside the final furlong and they got up by a neck close home at 16/1 for the Bobby’s Dream Syndicate.

Paul Fahey said: “She bred two foals. She was idle this year, so we said it would be handier to go racing and win a race than have her idle in the field. The step up in trip did actually work. The young lad gave her a lovely ride, in fairness to him.”