Championship leader Murtagh on the double

Johnny Murtagh completed a double at Dundalk this evening and moved five winners clear of Pat Smullen at the head of the Jockeys’ Championship when steering Eastern Rules to win the Group Bookings At Dundalk Handicap at Dundalk this evening.

Winning trainer Michael Halford, who himself was completing a double having provided Murtagh’s earlier winner Katherine Lee subsequently stated “Eastern Rules was raised 10lbs for his recent win but the handicapper told me that when he gives horses big penalties, that they usually win the next time they run!

“He did everything great, is tough and battled well tonight. We’ll see what happens now after ‘backing up’ two weeks in a row. We’ll probably freshen him up now and bring him here again in a few weeks time.”