Chris Hayes drives Crafty Codger home in the nursery© Photo Healy Racing
It's been an industrious few days for Kevin Prendergast and Chris Hayes and after getting Cottrell off the mark (on outing number twelve on Wednesday night) and Danseur De Feu (won at the eleventh attempt) earlier on this programme, the pair doubled their score when Crafty Codger shed his maiden tag at the tenth time of asking in the Crowne Plaza Leading Jockey & Trainer Championship Nursery Handicap at Dundalk.
The pace was strong in this mile contest and the victorious Mastercraftsman gelding travelled well to get into contention. In the end he found plenty for pressure to account for outsider Fight U For It (28/1) and Hazledoc (12/1) by a length and a half and a short head.
Fancied pair Meihua (6s into 4s) and Mr Moondance (5/1) had to settle for fifth and last place respectively.
Hayes had an interesting tale to relay: "I got a fright in the stalls – he got a bad kick at the back of them and the vet gave him the all clear but it was in my mind the whole way around.
"They went flat out – it was six furlong pace down the back.
"He won well and he deserved it. The boss said to do my own thing and it went to plan.
"He'll get a deserved break now." (MG & EM)
