Marnane and McAteer share sprint double at Dundalk
Jered Maddox and Luke McAteer win for trainer David Marnane in the Dundalk Stadium Winter Series Awards Day Handicap. Pic: Healy Racing
Trainer David Marnane and Luke McAteer shared a tremendous sprint double with veteran Jered Maddox and Amemri on ‘Finals Night’ at Dundalk.
Nine-year-old Jered Maddox got the better of top-weight in the five-furlong Dundalk Stadium Winter Series Awards Day Handicap, prompting Marnane to quip, “He’s disappointing me,” before adding, “He’s a great old horse – that’s twelve wins now. I was going to run him over six furlongs last week, but by brother Ed persuaded me to wait for this. He needs a strong pace and rolls home over five. He’s two for two at Laytown and I’d like to go back there with him next year.”
Carrying top-weight, Amemri completed a four-timer and registered her first win at the trip when getting up late to foil My Girl Sioux and Havana Notion to provide the second leg of the double in the six-furlong contest.
A six-time winner over seven furlongs on the polytrack, the Time Test mare has struck up a fine rapport with McAteer, as Marnane acknowledged.
“Luke is a very, very good rider and knows this mare well. She had a lot of weight, so we decided to take a chance over six, although seven is probably her trip. She’s gone from the 65 bracket now and will have a turf campaign, but she’ll have a break and will come back in the middle of the summer.”
Placed in hot maiden company at two, Currawood gave Paddy Twomey his first success of 2025 when justifying 4/9 favouritism in the median auction maiden, doing enough under Billy Lee to see off 150/1 shot Edge Of Mali.
Twomey has a one-mile median auction race at Cork on April 19 in mind as a next target for the Acclamation colt.
Ross Coakley, who will be associated with the Jim Bolger stable over the coming months, registered his first win since relocating from Britain when partnering 20/1 shot Waystar (opening her account at the thirteenth attempt) to victory in the concluding 47-65 mile-and-a-half handicap.
Always a force on the polytrack, Ado McGuinness was on the mark in the seven-furlong 0-70 handicap when the tough and consistent Comfort Line (Adam Caffrey) confirmed recent claimer form with Shoot To Kill.
McGuinness and Caffrey were denied a double when Tribal Star was collared late by the Stuart Crawford-trained, Wayne Lordan-ridden mare Annaghmccanns in the 0-85 handicap.
