Engage The Dance, second right in white sleeves, comes to collect at Sligo© Photo Healy Racing
Engage The Dance had backers in a spin as he unexpectedly broke his duck at 33/1 in Division 2 of the seven furlong handicap at Sligo.
The four-year-old gelding had raced 14 times before this evening with a best finish of third in Dundalk. He hadn’t been near to troubling the judge until this outing.
A delighted Pat Martin said: “I’m lucky. He was supposed to run in Bellewstown as I thought the ground would be better there. They were one short at declaration time of getting a divide in this race so I put him in thinking it would do somebody good.
“Me and Niall have always loved him, but it has never happened for him. He (Niall) said the ground was ideal for him today. He’s always worked like he would win one.
“His previous owner gave up on him and I begged him to get back in, but he ran poorly at Dundalk. He’s mine now.”
Although off the bridle a long way out, Engage The Dance responded well to McCullagh’s pressure and came through in the middle to pip Drinmoy Lad (12/1) by a short head. Have A Nice Day on the inside, was a neck down in third. He was backed from 9/1 to 13/2 on course.
The 3/1 favourite Jembatt came in a close-up fifth. He was impeded slightly just beyond the furlong marker.
Leigh Roche, on board Enter The Red received a one-day suspension from the stewards for careless riding.
Additional reporting by Gary Carson
