McDonogh & Whelan go head-to-head for Dundalk title Declan McDonogh holds a slight edge over Ronan Whelan in the Crowne Plaza Leading Jockey Championship ahead of the penultimate eight-race meeting of the year at Dundalk this afternoon (first race 2.05pm). McDonogh leads the way in the all-weather title race with 22 winners but Whelan dramatically narrowed the gap to just two when partnering a 615/1 four-timer here last Friday. Joseph O’Brien holds a clear advantage in the Crowne Plaza Leading Trainer Championship, and his powerful squad for the Polytrack has played a key role for McDonogh. The Owning Hill trainer is ten clear of Ado McGuinness with 30 winners at the County Louth venue, and the O’Brien/McDonogh axis could strike again with Dances With Stars in the Crowne Plaza sponsored mile and a half maiden. The Sea The Stars colt showed signs of greenness when runner-up to Eagle’s Flight here earlier this month and may now be suited by this step up in trip. Kieran Cotter has enjoyed by far his best ever campaign this year, and it will be interesting to see how strong recent acquisition Slade Runner is in the market for the opening five-furlong Irishinjuredjockeys.com Handicap. The Monasterevin trainer has proved a dab hand with sprinters, notably A Step Too Far who ran up a sequence of six successive wins this term, and the booking of McDonogh aboard Slade Runner looks significant. Whelan has a strong book of six rides on the card, and his boss Michael Halford (who saddled three of those winners last Friday) supplies further obvious chances with the likes of Spelga, Sienna Lady and Illusory. Spelga has gone close here on a number of occasions in recent months, and the three-time course winner may now have most to fear from Drakensburg and Crassus.
