Ado McGuinness ran three horses in the featured Christmas Party Nights At Dundalk Handicap and it was Dream Today the outsider of the trio at 15/2, who took the lion's share of the spoils.

He soon led under Rory Cleary over this six-furlong trip and Cleary got after him turning in with more than two furlongs to race.

The eight-year-old gelding got first run on Dandyville (15/8f) and a staying-on Apache Outlaw and clung on by a neck from the former with the latter the same distance back in third.

McGuinness said: “He's not the one I expecting, but we'll take any of them. They are solid horses and there's not a whole pile between any of them.

“Rory gave him a great ride, he jumped out and went forward. This horse loves to do that and fair play to him.

“It was a long last furlong, but he stayed at it well. I thought the other horse was coming to nab him but he didn't.

“Apache Outlaw ran well, I thought he might have finished a little bit stronger and he was a little disappointing. I'll take any winner.

“We've had great fun with this horse, he brought us to Dubai a few years back and always wins a couple of races every year. That's his third win this year and won on the beach as well for us. These type of horses keep people happy.”

On the winning syndicate, Shamrock Thorougbreds, he added: “They had a great year, we've had the best every season we've had.

“We had a good bunch of two-year-olds for them, which was brilliant and took us to the Breeders Cup.

“The guys invest their money. There are several different guys in different horses, there are small and big shareholders, and it's a great way to buy nice horses and travel. Fair play to them.”

Additional reporting by Gary Carson