Naoise has progressed nicely from a fairly unpromising start last summer and for the second time on the evening at Dundalk, Jim and Jackie Bolger successfully filled the owner/breeder/trainer roles as the former course and distance winner landed the www.redbook.ie Handicap under Kevin Manning.

Half-an-hour on from the win of his Coolcullen stable companion, Beart the favourite Naoise always looked good in this seven furlong event. He eventually got to the front inside the final furlong before going on to beat Curl Cat by two and three parts of a length.

Ger Flynn, representing Bolger, said: "I'm delighted for him and he seems to like the surface here. We'll try to find another race for him in the next few weeks."

The win puts Jim Bolger on the 12 winner mark in the Racing Post Winter Series here, one behind Eddie Lynam.

Meanwhile Kevin Manning is on ten winners, one behind Wayne Lordan. (AM & EM)