English's Avenger completes quick hat-trick

Red Avenger completed a three month treble at Dundalk today, landing the Dundalk Racing Club Handicap and maintaining an unbeaten record for trainer Damian English and jockey Rory Cleary.

The son of War Front was an astute purchase for 14,000gns last October, from Britain, and today followed up earlier October and November wins at the Co Louth venue, again under Cleary, when beating The Mouse Doctor by a neck.

Co Dublin based English later stated “he’s a grand old horse and he’s got his appetite for the game back. Rory just took his time and gave him a peach of a ride - that’s his third time riding him and he has it to a tee.

“He’ll come back in two weeks time for something similar and then we’ll put him away until the fast-track qualifier in March.

“We haven’t been too hard on him at home so he should come on from this and if he comes on from the next one, that’ll leave him right there for the qualifier.”

By Tom Weekes, quotes from Gary Carson