Sand Castle and Seamie Heffernan© Photo Healy Racing
Seamie Heffernan stole the limelight at Dundalk this evening with a 674/1 treble rounded off by a major gamble on Sand Castle in the concluding DundalkStadium.com Handicap.
The Adrian Murray-trained gelding was as big as 40/1 with some firms overnight and supported at all rates down including on track from 8/1 into 4/1 joint favourite.
Heffernan, who was also on the mark earlier in the evening aboard Catherine Of Siena (4/6fav) and 80/1 newcomer Charlisse sent the lightly-raced six-year-old to the front around halfway and, despite edging right from over a furlong out, kept on strongly in the closing stages. Princess Wannabe was three quarters of a length back in second with Matilda With Me another length and a quarter away in third.
Murray said, "He goes well here. It took me a long time to get him fit, I gave him a break last spring and I was the whole summer trying to get him fit. He was bouncing coming today and I couldn't have been happier with him.
“I think he's more of a summer horse and he could mix it on the Flat and over hurdles.
“He'll come back here again and might go to Leopardstown at Christmas for a maiden hurdle, to give him a spin and see how it goes.”
Quotes by Gary Carson
