Ryker scores for Halford/Coakley

The Michael Halford trained Invincible Ryker scored his second win in as many months at Dundalk this evening, when landing the Floodlit Friday Nights Apprentice Handicap under jockey Ross Coakley.

The well backed 5/2 favourite, in first-time cheek-pieces, was produced with a well timed challenge when beating Rivellino by half la length.

Afterwards Halford said “he's a grand big horse, likes it around here and has plenty of size and scope to him. That's a good trip for him and we just put the cheekpieces on him as he was idling a little bit. It just helps him concentrate.

“We'll keep tipping away with him, he's still relatively lightly raced and is getting the hang of it now - it's a big difference when they go into handicap company.

“He had a wide draw tonight and Ross did well on him; he got him in and got a little bit of cover and once he relaxed he was always happy.”

Quotes from Gary Carson