Ado McGuinness continues fine record at Dundalk Stadium

Only Joseph O'Brien, with 110, has trained more winners at Dundalk than Ado McGuinness in the last five years and he took his five-year tally to 76 with a double at the Stadium on Friday night. Both winners were ridden by Adam Caffrey.

Firstly, Real Appeal (7/2) won the Story Of Dundalk Stadium Book Available Online Race, then Hodd's Girl (4/1) recorded her sixth Dundalk success in landing the Join Us On Instagram at @dundalk_stadium Handicap. Four of those wins have come when ridden by Adam.

Real Appeal was bought out of Jessica Harrington's yard for 130,000 guineas by Shamrock Thoroughbreds last October and got off to a winning start for his new connections here. He won three races for Jessica, including Group 2 and 3 contests, and Ado is hoping to race him in the Middle East at Doha "for a big pot of money". 

The Dublin trainer has previously been successful in Doha with Bowerman, who won a Listed race there in 2021.

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Leanne Breen and Denis Hogan are two trainers enjoying a good run of form of late and both had winners on Friday night's card.

Based in Warrenpoint, County Down, Leanne made it two winners from two runners at Dundalk's last two meetings when Harbanaker (11/1) won the first division of the Dundalk Winter Series Leading Trainer and Jockey Championship Handicap under Robert Whearty, who ended the night with three winners from his last seven rides at Dundalk.

The second division of the race saw Stardayz gain a second career win, both of them for County Westmeath trainer Ciaran Murphy, when scoring at the rewarding odds of 25/1 under Joey Sheridan. 

Ciaran trained Stardayz between May 2021 and February 2022 before acquiring him again in March 2022.

Tipperary-based Denis Hogan's win came in the Crowne Plaza Race and Stay Handicap with Ransom (10/3 fav), who had also won on his last visit to Dundalk, on October 28th last year, so he was recording back-to-back victories for owner Liam Mulryan, who is a new owner for Denis. Success is clearly breeding success.

Winning jockey Daniel King, whose name crops up almost every week in these pieces, once again caught the eye with his riding.

County Meath-based trainer Luke Comer had won with the promising John Alexander at Dundalk last Friday (January 13th) and got another winner on Friday with Angel Above (12/1), who landed the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies' Maiden in the hands of Nathan Crosse.

Given that the winner's grand-dam won twice and has produced five winners of 17 races, including Hong Kong money-spinner Let Me Fight and Listed winner Stormbringer - plus a Dundalk winner in Mrs Bouquet - she left Dundalk on Friday as a more-valuable filly than when she arrived.

This gives an indication of the benefit to the racing and breeding industry of a track like Dundalk, which will stage a further 36 meetings this year.

It was also a first win as a stallion for Angel Above's sire Second Thought, who is by Kodiac and won three Listed races on the all-weather in England for trainer William Haggas.

Another apprentice catching the eye of late is 16-year-old Conor Stoner-Walsh, and he registered a fourth career success - and a second at Dundalk this year - when Arch Enemy (5/1) landed the first division of the DundalkStadium.com Handicap for County Cavan trainer Patrick Magee and owners the Black Steel Square Syndicate.

The second division of the race, the card's finale, saw Celtic Revival (13/2) get the better of an exciting three-way finish, eventually prevailing by a neck and a head.

Winning trainer Eddie Lynam is no stranger to success at Dundalk as a trainer and owner and, just for good measure, his wife Aileen bred this winner, who is by the top-class racehorse and stallion Sea The Stars.

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Apprentice James Ryan has been mentioned a number of times in recent months in these racing reviews and it is good to see that he is now getting more outside rides. As Eddie said: "Celtic Revival is not a simple ride and James was very good on him. It was a lovely ride."

Praise indeed from multiple Group 1-winning trainer Eddie, who is probably best known for top-class sprinters Sole Power and Slade Power, who won seven Group 1 races between them. Incidentally, they both also won their first races at Dundalk Stadium.

Dundalk’s next meeting will take place on Friday January 27th. It is set to begin at 4.30pm, which will become 3.55pm if a race divides, which is likely based on recent history. The last race is due off at 7.30pm.