< Mokhalad (10-1) bounced right back to his best form when coming out on top in the Crowne Plaza Hotel Race & Stay Handicap at Dundalk.
The four-year-old took over with a race-winning move inside the final furlong but was given a real fright late on as eventual runner-up Guanabara Bay finished with a wet sail.
There was only a head separating the pair at the line with Rummaging back in third.< Snow Patch (8-1) was sent off the outsider of four when lining up in the opening Happy Christmas To All Our Patrons Nursery Handicap but that didn't stop her from recording a comfortable three quarters of a length success.
Smartly away, jockey Killian Leonard was able to dictate matters from the front before kicking clear with a couple of furlongs to run and the result when never in any doubt thereafter with hot-favourite It's Two O Clock proving a major disappointment.< No Approval came through with a perfectly-timed challenge to take the honours in the first division of the www.dundalkstadium.com Handicap.
The four-year-old was doubling up following a recent C & D success and he looks a horse firmly on the upgrade judging by this one and a quarter length defeat of Rosenborg Rider
The second division went the way of Fashaar (20-1) who edged out the game Latchet by a neck.
The top-weight could be seen travelling noticeably well as one by one his rivals came under pressure but he still looked green and inexperienced when asked to put the race to bed and had to be driven right out to score.< Smart Stinger (5-1) opened her account in the Happy Christmas From All At Dundalk Stadium Maiden.
Andrew Stattery's 5-1 scorer provided jockey Ben Coen with a second success on the evening following the earlier victory of No Approval.< Free To Roam (5-1) got her head back in front with victory in the Irishinjuredjockeys.com Handicap while the Fund Raising Made Easy At Dundalk Handicap went the way of Commander Won (4-1).
