Lonesome Boatman cruises to Cork National glory 

The combination of Darragh O’Keeffe — the natural successor to Davy Russell as a local hero for Cork’s National Hunt enthusiasts — and local trainer Sean Allen was an irresistible draw for racegoers

LOCAL SUCCESS: Trainer Seán Allen and jockey Darragh O'Keeffe celebrate after Lonesome Boatman's victory in the Paddy Power Cork Grand National Handicap Chase. Picture: Healy Racing

If the crowd at Cork Racecourse on Sunday afternoon was dispersed for much of the afternoon, they congregated in jubilation around the parade ring following Lonesome Boatman’s local success in the Paddy Power Cork Grand National Handicap Chase.

The combination of Darragh O’Keeffe — the natural successor to Davy Russell as a local hero for Cork’s National Hunt enthusiasts — and local trainer Seán Allen, for whom it was only the fourth winner of his training career, was an irresistible draw for racegoers.