After saddling Carlingford Lough to take fourth place in today's Gold Cup at Cheltenham, veteran trainer John Kiely saw his Ancient Sands (well-backed 13/8 favourite) prevail under Pat Smullen in the Titanbet.co.uk Rated Race at Dundalk.

Smullen controlled things beautifully from the front on the Mee-family owned Footstepsinthesand gelding.

In the end Ancient Sands fought them all off to defeat Rummaging and Sharjah by half a length and a neck.

"Sharjah didn't go on as he normally does and John (Kiely) gave me a free hand, so I wasn't going to hold back in a slowly run race as he'd won over a mile and a half the last day. He really handles this surface well," reported Smullen.

(AM & EM)