Fourth course & distance win for Liberty

The Jim Gorman trained Liberty To Rock just held off the challenge of Granny Of Fire to take second division of the Crowe Plaza Leading Jockey & Trainer Handicap.

Ridden by Kevin Manning, the Billy Foley owned seven-year-old ran well on his last start, finishing fourth to Elusive Express at Bellewstown, and he was recording his fourth course and distance win at Dundalk this afternoon.

Sent off at 8/1, he settled in third before making headway in the early straight, hitting the front under two furlongs out.

He was soon strongly pressed by the well-backed Granny On Fire (5/1 into 7/2fav on-course) but he kept on best under pressure inside the final furlong, to score by a nose at the line.

The aforementioned ‘jolly’ had to settle for second under Shane Gray for Michael Mulvany, while The Black Devil (10/1) was just a neck back in third under Colin Keane for his father Ger.

Jim Gorman said afterwards: "He ran well in Bellewstown and he just got run out of it, but that left him right for here.

"That’s his fourth win here and he acts very well on the polytrack, a bit better than he does on turf."

Gorman went on to praise Kevin Manning saying: "He is a man of his own!"

He then added: "Over the weekend I’ve one in Tipperary tomorrow and three in Fairyhouse on Sunday. If the ground comes up good in Galway we will have a big contingent there."

Additional reporting by Michael Graham