'Monthly' Medal gains deserved first success

Medal Of Honour has had a busy year and finally gained a first win at Dundalk this evening as Joseph O'Brien's colt landed the opening Winter Series At Dundalk 2018 Maiden under the trainer's brother Donnacha O'Brien.

The son of Lope De Vega is the only flat performer this year to have raced in each of the months from April through to December and today got off the mark at the 11th attempt when arriving with a late challenge to beat Port Lions by three parts of a length.

Medal Of Honour drifted left late-on and the Stewards later held an enquiry into the incident but left the result stand.

Trainer O'Brien wasn't present but afterwards Donnacha O'Brien stated “he's been a bit disappointing in his last few runs but I think we've probably been making too much use of him in his races.

“You saw today how he stopped when he got there and drifted so I'd say it suits him to come from behind. I probably should have corrected him earlier but he won anyway.”

Quotes from Gary Carson