More Dundalk joy for McCauley as Dalvey recaptures form after bout of pneumonia

Wednesday: Dundalk

James McAuley spoke of his joy at seeing Dalvey, a horse he once thought could be a Group 1 performer, come back from a career-threatening sickness to win again at Dundalk.

The victory gave McAuley his tenth win of the winter series at Ireland’s only all-weather track and the trainer is joint third with Ger Lyons in the winter series championship. Only Joseph O'Brien (12) and John McConnell (10) have trained more winners at Dundalk this season.

For McAuley, seeing Dalvey winning the feature 1m2f handicap at the track on Wednesday was made extra special, given his back story.

He explained: "If you saw this horse when he was with Denis Hogan, there were only two horses who could work with him. We thought he could be a Group 1 miler and Denis was convinced he'd win a Triumph Hurdle."

McAuley added: “We ran him at Listowel last summer and, when I say he got sick, his bloods were off the scale. He came back with pneumonia and he just lost his form afterwards.

"We were running him in claimers and that was the level he was at. It looked as though he was past the point of rescue.

“Derek O'Connor rode him at Bellewstown and at Laytown and, after Laytown, he got down off him and said he felt as though he was coming back to his old self. Derek was right.

“That's ten winners now for us in the winter series at Dundalk so it's been brilliant. We're tipping away with our own horses and living and dying by our own decisions.”

Results and analysis

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