A big gamble on Whatever It Takes (in the McManus colours) in the Black Point Handicap at Wexford this evening failed to materialise, with the plunge horse eventually finishing third to Sixty Eight Guns completing a treble on the evening for trainer Ger Lyons.

The Tommy Stack trained Whatever It Takes was backed from a best price of 9/2 in the morning and 5/2 on-track into the heavily supported 10/11 favourite. However the handicap debutante never looked likely to win and, while he did pick up in the straight, found both Sixty Eight Guns and Dearest too good.

Afterwards Shane Lyons, representing his brother Ger Lyons for the third time tonight, joked “whatever about Dundalk on a Friday night, I think we’ll be coming to Wexford more often now!”

“Sixty Eight Guns started slowly from the stalls but Johnny was patient on him and it all worked out well in the end. Its onwards and upwards with him from here!”

Winning jockey Johnny Murtagh was himself recording a double.

Thomas Weekes