After six races at Dundalk tonight we were without a winning favourite. Joint market-leader Creeping Ivy landed the 8.30 and half-an-hour later in the second split of the Crowne Plaza Hotel Dundalk Handicap 7/2 favourite New Direction sent many punters home happy by winning under Kevin Manning.

Jim Bolger 's lowly rated four-year-old made the breakthrough in a huge field at the Curragh sixteen days ago, and he showed a good attitude here to beat Alhellal by a length and a quarter.

"Kevin said he likes the surface and handled it really well," said the Coolcullen representative Ger Flynn.

"He said he stuck at it well and that he's tough, genuine and resilient. They came to him but he battled back and was all out at the line.

"He's in the sales at Goffs next week so we'll see now whether he goes or not."

(GC & EM)