O'Connor in the wars again

The luckless Matt O’Connor is in the wars once more after parting company with Zaarito at the second-last in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Beginners’ Chase at Thurles.

O’Connor only returned to the saddle last month after seven months out with serious head injuries following an incident at Thurles in March.

Colm Murphy’s Zaarito had every chance on his chasing debut before a novicey mistake fired O’Connor into the turf in a race eventually won by Whatuthink.

The conditional jockey was subsequently taken to hospital in Kilkenny for X-rays on a suspected fracture of his left collarbone.