Murtagh tops off season in style

Johnny Murtagh topped off his incredible season on the flat when guiding home Sir Ector in the €100,000 Movember Handicap at Leopardstown.

The 14/1 shot (paid 20/1 on the Tote) weaved through into second in the home straight. Murtagh then got busy on him as he hit the front over a furlong out. He kept him up to his work to win by half a length from Quick Jack (10/1). Bayan under Silvestre de Sousa, stayed on for third at 6/1 while English raider Saptapdai got a cheque for fourth at 10/1. Ben Curtis was unseated from Tantalising after two furlongs.

Trainer James Lambe said: "We always knew he had a big pot like this in him. Johnny said he could be a Yorkshire Cup horse. I might run him over hurdles now, and then give him a break.

“Johnny got off him the last day and he told me to run him in the November Handicap, that he'd ride him and he'd win it! It was great to have Johnny on board, and it was great to win it. He is owned by Laura Carr from the north and she is at a match today."

Sir Ector won the Ulster Derby at Down Royal in June and was second to Royal Diamond in the Listed Challenge Stakes here in July.

Lambe sealed a double on the day when 20 minutes after this race Red Lion Rock won the bumper in Carlisle, England. AP McCoy was on board and this gave the jockey his 3,996th career success.

Additional reporting by Donal Murphy