'He's exceptional' - Darragh O'Keeffe steals show with sparkling 305-1 treble

Sunday: Tramore

Darragh O'Keeffe lit up the afternoon, riding a stunning 305-1 treble. Morepowertoya, sent off at 5-1, got O'Keeffe's day off to a flyer in the maiden hurdle, while the Prunella Dobbs-trained Shantou Warrior (15-2) and Pythion (5-1) for Mick Winters made it a memorable meeting for the rider.

On Pythion's victory, O'Keeffe said: "I really fancied him. I thought the track, if anything, might beat him, but he's a horse with a high rating on the Flat and we probably didn't see the best of him over hurdles.

"I rode him at Ballinrobe in a beginners' chase a few starts ago and I said chasing will definitely be his game. In fairness, he learned a lot from Clonmel last time and reversed the form with a few of them. He jumped great today."

Shantou Warrior was Dobbs's first winner of the season and owed his victory in the 2m handicap hurdle to a brilliant O’Keeffe ride.

Dobbs said: "There was a very good rider on him today. I'm always so pleased when he's available for me - he's an exceptional rider."

On her campaign, Dobbs added: "I've had a slow start this year but it's great. Shantou Warrior is a good handicapper and he's very consistent. We'll keep at it. He likes the summer ground and there could be something at Galway for him."

Morepowertoya was also a first winner of the term for local trainer Paul Power, who said: "He was scatty and green early on but he was starting to come forward a bit. He was low enough in the handicap but when this race came up we said we'd take a crack, especially when I'm only two miles over the road.

"We wanted him maybe to go left-handed but hopefully the quirks are out of him now."

All so easy

Easy Game stretched his unbeaten record in 2022 to four with minimum fuss in the 2m6f chase.

Paul Townend, who also won the 2m5½f maiden hurdle on Dragon Rock, said: "That was fun. He got in a good rhythm. You'll learn nothing more about him, it's another win beside his name.

"He's enjoying it and was in his comfort zone everywhere. He has a rating that will be hard in handicaps, but if they keep finding races like that, I'll enjoy it anyway."

Elliott strikes again

Gordon Elliott’s string are in good shape and the top trainer made it winner number seven of the week courtesy of Dartington in the 2m rated novice hurdle.

The son of Siyouni, sent off the 13-8 favourite, was set a tough task conceding weight but his class told in the finish, as he backed up his recent Wexford win with another good showing under Jack Kennedy.

Results, replays and analysis

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