Pont Alexandre© Photo Healy Racing
< Pique Sous set himself up for a trip to the Cheltenham Festival with a performance that oozed class under the lights at Dundalk.
Sent off the 4-7 favourite for the Bookings At Dundalkstadium.com Maiden, the Willie Mullins-trained grey was settled just off the pace from his wide draw by Paul Townend and was always travelling well.
The jockey barely moved a muscle as the six-year-old eased into the lead and stretched away to score by four and a half lengths, giving connections every hope that he might be a force in the Supreme Novices' Hurdle in March.
Tracey Collins produced Pencil Hill fit from a 91-day lay-off to come out best in a thrilling three-way finish to the www.dundalkstadium.com Handicap.
The 10-1 winner was locked in a duel with Inishmot Duchess through the final furlong and Megan Carberry grabbed the verdict by a head, with Copper Dock making late ground to finish a further short head away in third.
Michael O'Callaghan's 4-6 favourite Typhoon Lily was another odds-on shot to score without a moment's worry, exploiting a gap on the rail under Fergal Lynch and powering away before taking the Floodlit Friday Night At Dundalk Fillies Maiden by a length.
Ado McGuinness's mare Cookie Crumbles (9-1) has been running well without winning, but her turn came in the Dundalk Stadium Light Up Your Night Handicap as she led a furlong out and held Tamujin by a head under Leigh Roche.
The jockey, who earlier picked up a three-day whip ban, completed a double when the Willie McCreery-trained La Belle Maison (5-4 favourite) overcame modest opposition to take the Crowne Plaza Hotel Race & Stay Apprentice Maiden by a length and a half.
Shane Gray kept Damian English's front-running Cash Or Casualty (14-1) going long enough to hold Joseph O'Brien on Ahimsa by a nose in the Crowne Plaza Leading Jockey & Trainer Championship Handicap.
