Double for Halford & Foley as Bensoon scores

Having won the fifth with Red Laser Mick Halford and Shane Foley doubled up in the last, the Thomastown Handicap, as Bensoon scored at 11/2.

Just like Red Laser, Bensoon had been running solely on the all-weather at Dundalk since July of last year, winning once and finishing second three times

Back on the turf this evening, the four-year-old son of Refuse To Bend quickened up well from over a furlong out, hitting the front in the closing stages and despite ducking left close home he had done enough to score by half a length at the line. Long Journey Home ran well to finished second at 4/1 under Wayne Lordan for Daniel O’Sullivan while Jazz Girl was a further length back in third under Gary Carroll for Andy Oliver at 11/2.

The Pat Flynn trained He’s Our Music was the gamble of the race and having opened on-course at 6/1 he was heavily punted into 7/2 favouritism at the off.

Ridden by Fran Berry he travelled well into the straight but he couldn’t quicken in the closing stages and finished back in sixth.

Mick Halford said afterwards; "The ground is the key to him, he loves it like that. He was running fierce consistently at Dundalk and we’ll keep him on the go when the ground is like that. He jumps a hurdle as well so he’ll mix it."

Additional reporting by Alan Magee