It's easy polish a diamond as the old saying goes and Luke Dempsey's undoubted natural ability is being honed expertly through the guidance of Tommy Carmody and Johnny Murtagh. The upshot of this is that young Dempsey is tremendous value for his 10Ib claim as he showed again on Spirituality in the Crowne Plaza Race & Stay Package Handicap at Dundalk.

Following up their victory from here a week ago, Dempsey got Spirituality (11/2 into 7/2) up late on to deprive the similarly well-backed favourite Captain Joy (5/1 this morning into 5/2) by a neck.

As ever competition for racing room was intense up the straight here and outsider Khyber Pass attempting to come through from the rear, didn't get the gaps when he required them. Eddie Lynam's charge ended up finishing fifth. Shane Foley, jockey on the third home, Free Spin picked up a 2 day careless riding ban.

Luke Dempsey of course has graduated from the pony racing ranks and he is a son of trainer Luke and his wife Regina (recently saddled a point-to-point winner for the yard, Breffni Gael at Castletown-Geoghegan).

Dempsey has now ridden three winners, all coming in the space of the last ten days, two on Spirituality and the other on another Andrew Tinkler horse, King Of Dudes at Navan (GC & EM)