Murtagh leads way in championship

Although he drew a blank from five rides at Dundalk on Friday night, Bohermeen jockey Johnny Murtagh leads the charge for the flat title as the season draws to a conclusion at the Co Louth track on Friday evening. Currently, Murtagh (92 winners) is six winners ahead of his nearest challenger Pat Smullen (86), but the Meath jockey will miss the final night of the season after he picked up a one-day suspension last week. Murtagh took his tally for the season to 92 when he delivered the Eoin Griffin-trained Baracas to win a 10-furlong maiden at Dundalk last Wednesday. Last year Murtagh was third in the title race with 80 winners while the last Meath man to win the championship was Moynalty rider Declan McDonogh in 2006. Smullen won it last year and in 2007 and has dominated the championship since the turn of the century. McDonogh was also in the winners' enclosure at Dundalk last Wednesday when the Kevin Prendergast-trained Velvet Flicker won a two-year-old race. Kiltale-based trainer Ger Lyons also looks like he will retain his title as leading trainer at Dundalk after Buy Back Bob (4/6) landed the odds in the opening race for Keagan Latham. McDonogh was on the mark on Friday night at the all-weather track when Gwens Spirit proved best in a handicap. The Moynalty man hit the front over a furlong out. Stamullen trainer Tom McCourt maintained his recent good strike rate for his eighth winner between flat and jumps in this country, he has also had success in Scotland this year. Tornadodancer was winning for the third time in 42 outings. "He's had a long enough year and it's nice to go out on a winning note," commented McCourt.The Noel Meade-trained Little Bug eventually got her head in front after getting in as a reserve in the mile handicap at Dundalk. Meade withdrew Sheba Five which was lame and Little Bug got in as third reserve, the Liam Queally-owned and bred filly may run again at the Louth track this week. The Crowne Plaza leading jockey and leading trainer championships have been hotly contested throughout the year and Lyons, with 19 winners up to last Friday night looks set to retain that title as he is five ahead of his nearest rival Michael Halford. However, in the race for the jockeys title, Murtagh (22 winners) is only three ahead of Fran Berry with plenty of action to unfold this week. "We are delighted to be in partnership with Dundalk Stadium for the second successive year sponsoring the leading jockey and trainer awards," commented Crowne Plaza Hotel Sales and Marketing director Elaine White.