LEE Shanahan marked himself out as a rider to follow when he registered a first career double, when he pulled off a pair of confident waiting rides aboard horses trained by his chief supporter, Ross O’Sullivan.

The Tallaght native struck first aboard Justlikejessejames (2/1 - 6/4 favourite) in the mares’ winner of one contest, where he was able to delay introducing the six-year-old into the contest until entering the home straight.

Despite briefly getting caught in a pocket around the home bend, the pair soon set off in pursuit of the Punchestown maiden winner Pappariche, who had set sail for home entering the straight.

The Downtown Syndicate-owned daughter of Mount Nelson overhauled her main market rival in the final 50 yards to prevail by half a length.

“She is a tough mare, but I was a little bit worried about the ground,” Shanahan reported. “It’s down as Yielding, but I think it’s a touch slower and they aren’t really getting home, so I played the waiting game, and she came home well in the end.

“Ross is very good, he has let her tip along and she is really after coming to herself.”

Made amends

The RACE graduate doubled his tally for the day when Arkhill (1/2 – 2/5 favourite) made amends for an unlucky debut in the older geldings’ maiden.

Denied a winning start to his career at Punchestown when blundering at the last, the Outback Syndicate-owned six-year-old put that right on his very next start.

Riding full of confidence having partnered four of his 10 career successes in this sphere within three consecutive weekends this month, Shanahan produced the six-year-old gelding at the last and, whilst the pair again had to survive an error at that obstacle, they were able to deny Silver Salute by one and a half lengths.

“I thought I was going to win the last day on him; he went to the last on the bridle, and he made a hames of it,” Shanahan said.

“He didn’t jump the last too slick here either, but he had that bit of experience under his belt to pick up and go again. He got the job done and there is plenty of improvement in him.”

Thrilling finishes

The card featured a number of similarly thrilling finishes, with the four-year-old geldings’ maiden producing one of the closest finishes.

Although just two of the 10 starters completed the course, there were only three-parts of a length separating them, with the Borris House-fourth Follow Your Luck (6/1 - 10/1) making his superior experience count under Darragh Higgins by battling back, having been headed after the last to defeat Tom Keating’s promising newcomer Bonny Success.

“They are two good horses,” Michael Murphy said following the victory of the Redbridge Stables-owned Mahler gelding.

“I had a Success Days win at Lingstown a couple of weeks ago [If You Believe], and Tom Keating told me that he had a good Success Days too, so I wasn’t happy when I saw that we were going to be competing against him today. My horses, in general, come on for the first run, and that he did.”

The former rider-turned-handler fielded both Crafted Pearl (3/1- 4/1) and Magic Gloves in the 10-runner contest, and they were the two horses that kicked clear of the field approaching the home bend.

From here, the pair raced as one, until the Turbine Syndicate-owned grey, Crafted Pearl, was able to get the upper hand in between the final two fences to triumph on debut by a length and a half under the in-form Barry Stone.

“The two of them had different owners,” Murphy said. “They were healthy and well; they both scoped well yesterday; and I have a couple for next week as well.

“There was nothing between the two of them, and the two owners were happy to run and take their chance. The horses are flying.”

O’Neill’s four

Barry O’Neill brought his tally of winners for the weekend to four, as he supplemented a Portrush hat-trick 24 hours earlier by steering Daydream Nation (5/2 - 4/1) to an impressive victory in the five-year-old geldings’ maiden.

The Doyen gelding had made a promising start to his career at that northern venue in the autumn, when chasing home the subsequent sales-topper and Leopardstown bumper winner Kovanis, and he returned from a mid-season break by brushing aside the challenge of two previously placed rivals by 16 lengths.

“He had a lovely first run and I probably shouldn’t have run him the second day,” Colin Bowe said of the Milestone Bloodstock-owned bay.

“He had four-year-old form, and he has strengthened up for the break. He has a lovely attitude.”

AIDAN Fitzgerald was full of praise for a key member of his Cobajay Stables team, when Luke Whitty registered his second career success in the five-year-old and upwards mares’ maiden.

A native of Skeoughvosteen, the 19-year-old had opened his account aboard stable stalwart Garm Colombe at Stradbally last season, and he doubled his career tally when Our Girl Sal (4/1) pounced in the home straight to defeat Walk The Hall by six lengths.

Owned by David Lyons, a school friend of the Carlow handler, the seven-year-old was belatedly opening her account, having previously finished placed on six occasions. “That was lovely for Luke, that is his second winner,” Fitzgerald said. “He works very hard in the yard, he rides the breakers, he does everything, and I’m delighted for him.”

Horse to Follow

Bonny Success (T. Keating): Just the second son of Success Days to feature in the pointing sphere, he came very close to giving his stallion two winners from two runners in four-year-old maidens, as he only lost out in the dying strides.