Gary Carroll moved level, on 36 winners, with Ben Curtis at the top of the apprentice title race after a hard earned victory on Kirsty's Boy in the seven furlong handicap at Dundalk.

The Shane Broderick-trained gelding broke well but was soon headed and struggled to go the pace.

Carroll was hard at work from over three furlongs out on the three-year-old but he eventually got to the front just inside the final furlong.

He drifted left under pressure and done Miss Martinstown no favours, eventually going on to beat that rival by a length.

There was no change after a stewards enquiry although Carroll did pick up a one-day ban for careless riding, ruling him out of the meeting here in a fortnight.

The winner had attracted support in the morning from as big as 20/1, returning a 9/1 shot.

"I was at work on him from a long way out. He's had a lot of racing and has just got a bit cute. I'd say next time you see him he'll have a pair of blinkers," said Carroll.