Four-timer puts O’Connor in control in jockeys title race
The 28-year-old will seldom ride an easier winner than he did aboard Annacarton (4/7) for Jimmy Mangan’s confirmed fast-ground specialist was always toying with his rivals in the six-runner open. Annacarton made most of the running, easing clear on the run to the final of the 14 obstacles to contain French Accordion by two and a half lengths.
With Mangan on duty at Killarney, his wife Mary remarked: “We’ll see what comes up, but Annacarton will probably run in another open before the end of the season.”
O’Connor earned plaudits galore for the ride that he gave his initial winner Rose Of Dunamuse in the first division of the five and six-year-old mares’ maiden.
The Willie Murphy-trained Rose Of Dunamuse (3/1), who was still last with a circuit to go, made smooth progress from two out and she overtook Renta Gallery over 25 yards out to oblige by a neck. A hurdling campaign is now probable for Rose Of Dunamuse, the first horse that Murphy has trained for Portlaoise-based owner Peter Tyrrell.
O’Connor was similarly witnessed to excellent effect when partnering his 100th winner of the season aboard Sean Aherne’s Justthethreeofus (5/1) in the second part of this same contest.
Patiently-ridden, Justhethreeofus made smooth progress to challenge for the lead when erring at the last and she duly mastered Mac Idol in the closing stages to score by a neck in the colours of Liz O’Leary.
The Declan Dorgan-trained Supreme Doc (7/2) brought up O’Connor’s four-timer in the winners of one.
Supreme Doc, yet another to benefit from an ultra-confident ride, went to the head of affairs at the final fence and the son of Dr Massini then stayed on purposefully to account for the mare Takemetotheisland.
This win was a welcome tonic for Dorgan, who hails from the nearby parish of Castlelyons, for he sustained pelvical injuries in a fall at home from Supreme Doc on March 10th.
The Arthur Goulding-trained Inverawe (6/1), runner-up on his two previous starts at Tramore and Dawstown, recorded a virtual pillar-to-post success under Kieran Norris in the five-year-old geldings’ maiden.
Inverawe had his task simplified somewhat when Massini Royale, who still held every chance in second spot, fell at the final fence. The winning son of Busy Flight then beat the promising Caulfields Venture by three lengths in the colours of Belgooly-based owner/breeder John White.
Frontrunning tactics similarly proved successful when the Gordon Doyle-trained Sir Hands (10/1) came home as he pleased in the closing seven-year-old maiden, the race that attracted the biggest field of the afternoon in 19 runners.
Sir Hands, representing Cyril Kiernan from outside Mullingar, stormed clear from the second last to dismiss Dromahane by eight lengths with his handler’s brother Andrew Doyle.
The Batt O’Connell-trained homebred Truckers Princess (3/1), a creditable third at Cloyne in March, came from off the pace with John Barry to collect the opening confined hunt maiden.
