Take Cover (Fran Berry, red, to the fore) is strongest in the Mercury Stakes© Photo Healy Racing
< Take Cover produced a telling performance from the front to land Listed honours at Dundalk in the Mercury Stakes.
Trained by David Griffiths in South Yorkshire, the 3-1 second favourite was always at the head of affairs in the five-furlong sprint, but he kept up the gallop well for Fran Berry, recording a length-and-a-half success over fellow British raider Speed Hawk with another Brit, Marsha in third.< Heavy Weight came back from almost three years on the sidelines to land the Book Your Christmas Party At Dundalk Handicap.
In what must be considered a tremendous training feat from Jim Bolger, the 10-1 chance ran on strongly in the closing stages under Rory Cleary, grabbing Back On Top on the line and scoring by a short head.
It was a case of lucky number 13 for Laharde as he got off the mark at the 13th attempt in the Floodlit Friday Nights At Dundalk Maiden.
David Marnane's 5-1 chance picked up nicely two furlongs out for Connor King, and just had to be kept up to his work in the closing stages to beat Falcao by a length and three-quarters.< Kotonic (5-2 favourite) got the better of a titanic battle with Sweetie Jar to land the Irishinjuredjockeys.com Nursery Handicap for Michael Callaghan and Killian Leonard.< Tooreen Legend built on a recent course third when asserting in the final furlong of the Crowne Plaza Race And Stay Handicap under Billy Lee.
Tommy Stack's 2-1 favourite tracked the early pacesetters and picked them up well, running on to beat Break My Mind by a length and three-quarters.
Ross Coakley got the best out of Johnny Murtagh's Yulong Baozuo (16-1), getting on top in the final strides to deny Skerray Rules by a neck in the Crowne Plaza Leading Jockey And Trainer Championship Apprentice Handicap.
