Avenue Montaigne and Connor King stretch clear at Dundalk© Photo Healy Racing
< Avenue Montaigne (6-4) showed her appreciation for having her sights lowered with a clear-cut triumph in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Median Auction Fillies Maiden at Dundalk.
John Murphy's juvenile has held her own in Group Three and Listed company so it was surprising she wasn't sent off favourite, with that honour going to Bairns At Bay
Avenue Montaigne slipped through a gap over a furlong out and soon put matters to bed, inflicting a three-and-three-quarter-length defeat on the market leader.< Strategic Heights really enjoys racing at this circuit and registered his fourth course-and-distance victory in the five-furlong DKIT Students Union Race Night Handicap.
The 7-4 favourite helped Majestic Timeline cut out the pace and after taking the lead outright early in the straight, he stuck to his task well to cross the line with a length and a half in hand.< Dark Alliance (8-13 favourite) had never tried an artificial surface prior to the Crowne Plaza Hotel Race & Stay Maiden, but took to it like a duck to water.
Mick Halford's gelding had kept decent company earlier in the year and his sharpness after a break of almost four months wasn't an issue because Conor Hoban bounced him out in front.
He was still travelling well within himself when asked to go and win his race, and he coasted across the line four and a quarter lengths ahead of Balmont Blast
Halford doubled up when Alvar (4-1) denied the well-backed Manorov in the Dundalk Stadium On Facebook Handicap.< Twistsandturns (7-1) was another to return from a short absence but lacked nothing in the way of fitness, judging by the way he ran to the line to land the Christmas Party Nights At Dundalk Handicap.
Colin Keane brought 2-1 favourite Marble Statuette with a beautifully-timed challenge to come from last to first in the Floodlit Friday Nights At Dundalk Apprentice Handicap.
