Anyone thinking that Khawatim was 'a lay' at 4/6 for the www.dundalkstadium.com Handicap were made to pay for their punt as Ben Curtis brought up a double on Tipperary-native Noel Quinlan's raider in the six furlong heat.

Priced-up at 5/2 last evening, the victorious Intikhab gelding tracked the leaders on the rail, got the split between horses when it was required, and he led a furlong out.

Half-an-hour previously a winner on Bangalore Diamond Curtis got Khawatim to assert inside the last to beat Almadaa by three lengths.

Quinlan revealed: "I was a bit worried turning-in as it takes time for him to warm-up. He can't go the early pace and he got a lovely gap when he needed it there. It's not often you get that here.

"I'll see what the handicapper does but I don't think he'll come back here as I think he'll make up into a nice grass horse.

"There was no race for him in England off his mark of 76. That's why we came here. My last visit was back in 1974!

"We have thirty in training and I would be inclined to come back but it concerns me the way horses stack up on the rail here.

"It would be nice if they could find some way of fanning them out. I'd have been furious if he'd lost due to bad luck in running.

"I've had winners in Galway before."

The Unique Partnership, the winning owners, are from Newcastle and it was only their racing manager that made it over. (MG & EM)