The ultra-competitive Microsoft Ireland Handicap went the way of the Dick Brabazon trained Waterboy

After finishing down the field on his handicap debut over the course and distance last month, the grey son of Stormy River put in a much improved performance at Dundalk on his last start.

He was third to Bringthehousedown at the all-weather venue, and went off a well-backed 11/2 co-favourite (from 7s on-course) of three this evening.

Settled behind the leaders by Seamie Heffernan, he was pushed along to lead just inside the final furlong, keeping on well from there to score by a length and a half.

The ten-year-old Dinkum Diamond (14/1) finished second, while Red Avenger (11/2cfav)and So Enjoy (20/1) were third and fourth. Khabaray was the other co-favourite, and he finished a disappointing fourteenth.

Brabazon said afterwards: "He's a very big, leggy, backward horse. We always liked him but he's just done nothing but grow the last two years, and any time we ran him on soft he just got lost through weakness. The three runs he's had on good ground were three super runs.

"He's related to Study Of Man that is fancied for the French Derby and the third dam is Miesque so he's bred to be useful but just terribly slow to get the message mentally and physically but mainly physically.

"He's finally learning to be a bit of a racehorse but I'm not going to rush him because he's still a big frame.

"Next year he will be into the frame, and the penny is just dropping now. Seamie thinks he will go on now but I won't rush him back.

"I didn't want to go for a mile race coming back dramatically from a mile and a half but there was nothing else, and I knew a mile at Leopardstown was good and safe. Seamie said maybe a mile is right for him."

STEWARDS REPORTS

S. Foley, rider of Makamamia (GB) trained by A. Oliver, reported to the Clerk of Scales that his mount lost action.

N.G. McCullagh, rider of High Altitude trained by John Joseph Murphy, reported to the Stewards' Secretaries that his mount met with interference.

R. Coakley, rider of Total Demolition trained by J.Larkin, reported to the Clerk of Scales that his mount was slow away, got tight for space in the straight and had no luck in running.

Additional reporting by Alan Magee