Inishmot Prince with winning connections© Photo Healy Racing
Inishmot Prince recorded his ninth course win when getting up in the final stride to land the Dundalk Winter Series Leading Trainer & Jockey Championship Handicap.
The Elzaam gelding has built up a great association with apprentice James Ryan and needed every yard of this five-furlong distance to snatch the spoils.
The 5lb claimer was hard at work early in the straight and the 11/4 chance didn’t enjoy the clearest of passages inside the final furlong before getting up on the line to deny Maggie McGrath by a nose. Musical Tribute also held every chance just half-a-length back in third with 2/1 favourite Collective Power in fourth.
Winning trainer Tom McCourt said, “He was going nowhere at the beginning of the straight, the usual. A strong pace and he seems to know where the line is!
"He just got stopped at the wrong time as well and just had to snatch him up. He seems to love it up here. He always does it the hard way!
"Newcastle for the All-Weather Championships is definitely what I am looking at now. I'd probably rather go to Newcastle (than Lingfield). He deserves to get a decent pot at this stage.
"I'm still of the opinion that he will win on grass. He ran a blinder on his first run back in Bellewstown where he finished out in his normal way. Then he seemed to lose his form more than anything else, he just wasn't firing.
"Maybe it is just here, but he has earned a try at Newcastle. He's a nice horse to be able to run in those type of races."
Inishmot Prince was winning for the sixth time over the minimum trip with his other three victories here coming over six furlongs.
Quotes by Michael Graham
