Benavente, ridden by Colin Keane, secured a victory in the Irishinjuredjockeys.com Handicap at Dundalk on Friday, February 20, 2026, overcoming competition from nine other horses on the polytrack.
The 1m 4f race saw Benavente, an 8-year-classic gelding trained by D. Hogan, resume winning ways, according to post-race analysis. The victory followed an encouraging start for recent connections, as noted in race analysis. Keane and Benavente finished ahead of Satono Chevalier, ridden by Rory Cleary, and Wandering Rocks, ridden by Chris Hayes.
Voice Of Reason, with Seamie Heffernan as jockey, was initially favored with odds of 7/2, followed by Benavente at 4/1 and Unterberg at 5/1. But, Benavente ultimately prevailed. Forecasts indicated a competitive race, with Trishuli River and Tyraxes also considered strong contenders.
The race card detailed the weights and ages of the competing horses. Voice Of Reason, a 6-year-old, carried 10-1, while Walhaan, a 10-year-old, also carried 10-1. Unterberg, at 7 years old, carried 9-13. Tyraxes, the youngest at 4 years old, carried 9-4.
Earlier in the week, on February 13, 2026, another Irishinjuredjockeys.com Handicap took place at Dundalk. Sporting Hero, ridden by Elizabeth Gale, won that race, but Gale was found to be 2lbs overweight at weigh-out, though the overweight was carried. The stewards received a report from the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board regarding the incident.
The February 13th race featured a jackpot pool of €308.17 carried forward to Gowran Park on February 14th. The Placepot pool totaled €29,133.73, with winning units at 79.12 and a dividend of €257.90. The Place Six dividend was €320.77, and the Place Five dividend was €80.87. Total Tote aggregate for the day was €116052.09.
