Hale Bopp gets back in the winning groove

Hale Bopp has taken a huge drop in the ratings over the past year and took full advantage when getting up close home in a thrilling finish to division two of the Irishinjuredjockeys.com Handicap at Dundalk.

There was plenty of pace in this mile event and the complexion of the race changed inside the final furlong as horses finished strongly right across the width of the straight.

Robbie Colgan got Hale Bopp (17/2) up in the closing stages to deny 3/1 favourite Allo Arery by a head with Indiana Grey just half-a-length away in third as less than a length covered the first five home.

The Belardo gelding, who held a career high mark of 94 and was winning here off 60, was claimed by current connections after gaining a fourth win for Ger Lyons over course and distance last November.

Winning trainer Dick Donohoe said, "He has had a few problems and was running into form recently so delighted to get the right side of a close one there.

"He ran well in Gowran and ran well the previous day in Gowran so he had two goodish runs and, obviously, his handicap mark had dropped which gave him a chance anyway.

"Good to get him back here, hopefully there might be another one along the way.

"The race was set up well for him and I thought two down he might win snug but it got a bit slow then for a while, but he battled strong in the end."

Quotes by Michael Graham