Captain fantastic at Dundalk for Murray

Captain Fantastic could be a title that might apply to local trainer Joseph Murray who is based outside Navan near Oristown after he displayed a 'magic touch' with the latest addition to his small team that he trains for his wife-to-be (next Saturday) Lisa Sheridan.

The Captain Fantastic suggestion arises from the fact that Murray's other horse (owned by Lisa) is Captain Cullen which has won twice this year for the trainer who only had his first runner (Captain Cullen) last July.

The wedding will take place in Oristown Church on Saturday next with the reception and celebrations to follow at Knightsbrook Hotel, Trim, but the bigger question might be.....

Will the soon-to-be happy couple be heading for Dundalk racetrack next Friday night?

Last night's winner at Dundalk, on his first run for Murray, Captain Midnight, is in again at the Louth track next Friday night - who will make that decision?

Wouldn't bet on the trainer having the final say!!!!

Anyway, last night at Dundalk Captain Midnight and 10lb-claimer Keith Moriarty won well at the all-weather track - it was a third winner for the jockey as well as the trainer.

Rated 52, Captain Midnight won the 47-65 handicap in a Meath one, two, three with the Gordon Elliott-trained National Service in second and the Eddie Lynam-trained Doc Holliday in third place.

The first prize of €5,500 covered the outlay to purchase Captain Midnight (€5,000) in a claimer at Laytown in September.

'We were looking earlier in the year for a horse for Dundalk for the winter and claimed him for €5,000 at Laytown,' explained Murray in an interview with irishracing.com at the Louth track last night.

Captain Midnight was initially trained by Yorkshire trainer David Brown and had one win in 2013 as a two-year-old at Beverley, but failed to win in seven outings as a three-year-old last year for Brown.

Arriving back in Ireland, the Tally-Ho Stud bred gelding ran seven times this year for Kildare-based handler James Feane which included one trip to Ayr for a Class Five handicap over seven furlongs.

However, Captain Midnight never made the frame and was sent to contest that claimer at Laytown two months ago -  sent off at 9/4 favourite but could only manage sixth behind the Emmet Butterly-trained Bussa.

The move to Meath appears to have made a difference.