Sunset Nova (no.7) and Andrew Slattery came out on top in a tight finish to the finale© Photo Healy Racing
Sunset Nova (13/2) won the concluding Join Us On Instagram @dundalk_stadium Handicap to complete a double for jockey Andrew Slattery after his win on Tooreen Angel in the opener on the card.
A horse in a rich vein of form over the mid-winter period at Dundalk, the Zebedee gelding came from off the pace to throw down his challenge in the closing stages. He kept on best to score by three quarters of a length from Slade Runner (4/1) with Pillar (25/1), who went off hard in front, holding on for third a further half a length away.
It looked like one race too many for the hat-trick seeking 11/8 favourite Sabrina Fairchild who couldn’t sustain her effort in the final furlong and finished seventh.
After winning just once in his first 34 starts, a maiden at Navan in 2019, Sunset Nova has really found the winning thread with three wins (one of them a dead-heat) from his last four runs.
Winning trainer Andy Slattery said: “He's been a good servant and has won three here now in the last few months.
“He was unlucky on Friday night (third over 7f) where he missed the break and was back a bit far but stayed on well. He loves his racing and seems to be improving so we’ll keep at it.
“He’s gone out of the 65 bracket now. I know that was a 45-70 but there are not too many of those races here.”
Additional reporting by Alan Magee
