Review dundalk 19th Oct

Pat Smullen cut back the deficit in the jockeys' title race to five after landing a double at Dundalk in the absence of his arch rival Joseph O'Brien.

Smullen had fallen behind his young rival in recent weeks and went into the meeting with the score on 85-78, so he was in need of winners with O'Brien serving a suspension.

The easier of his two victories came on the Dermot Weld-trained Hazy Glow (7-1), who was always prominent and cleared away in the final furlong to take the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden by four and a half lengths in the Moyglare Stud colours.

It was harder for the Joanna Morgan-trained Balmont Flyer (9-2), who led at the quarter-mile pole in the second division of the Crowne Plaza Leading Jockey & Trainer Championship Handicap and held favourite Carvelas by half a length.

Aidan O'Brien got a winner on the board when Rain God (11-4), with Mick Hussey in the plate, forged clear from the two pole to score by three-quarters of a length in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF (C & G) Maiden.

Several of the evening's winners were following up recent track victories, among them Tommy Carmody's Spirituality (7-2), who won last Friday and took the Crowne Plaza Race & Stay Package Handicap, getting up close home under Luke Dempsey to beat favourite Captain Joy by a neck.

Rodger Sweeney's Raydari (5-1) won on the track a fortnight ago and travelled better than anything under Sam James in the first division of the 10-furlong handicap, though he had to pull out the stops to hold on by half a length when tackled by Atmospheric High

Mick Halford's Via Ballycroy (6-1) also won at Dundalk when last seen and took the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Handicap, finding a nice turn of foot when pulled to the outside by Shane Foley to score by two lengths.