Mecklenburg justified solid 3/1 favouritism to win the Floodlit Friday Nights At Dundalk Maiden at Dundalk today, scoring for trainer Michael Halford, owner/breeder Nick Hartery and jockey Ronan Whelan.

The son of Power had run a promising race in defeat, when slowly away, on debut at Cork last August and today showed other signs of greeness when racing keenly before eventually scoring a half-length win over Chanell Eclipse

Afterwards Halford stated “he’s a lovely horse and just got a bit weak after his first run and we just had to be patient.

“He wants every yard of seven furlongs but there was no seven-furlong race until the 24th and he was coming out over the door at me at home so we said we’d better get him up here.

“I’m delighted he had the ability to win over six and he’s a smashing horse. He’s still a baby, very raw and very immature mentally.

“He loves that surface and is a beautiful moving horse. He’s always shown us plenty of ability and I think he’ll improve and grow up mentally."

Quotes from Alan Magee