O’Brien jnr stretches five clear in title race

Joseph O’Brien stretched five clear of Pat Smullen in the title-race when sharing a two-year-old double with his trainer-father Aidan at Dundalk last night.

The teenager brought his domestic tally for the season to 61 by partnering Vinson Massif and Festive Cheer to victory in the opening juvenile maidens the latter, a son of Montjeu, proving an impressive two lengths winner of the seven-furlong [e-mail] Maiden.

Having tracked the leaders, under a confident ride, Festive Cheer quickened up well to master Made In Design inside the final furlong, prompting the winning rider to comment: “He’s a horse I like. I fancied him the first day, but he was too green. He learned from the experience and he travelled like a dream today. I gave him a couple of flicks to ask him to go about his job and he picked up well.