Habesh and Joseph O Brien (left)© Photo Healy Racing
Champion Jockey Joseph O'Brien completed a four-timer at Dundalk this evening, when steering Habesh to win the Crowne Plaza Leading Jockey & Trainer Championship Handicap (div 1), a first all-weather win at the venue for trainer Eugene O'Sullivan.
O'Brien and Habesh encountered trouble in-running before the home straight but once out in the open, stayed on well to head Vim inside the final furlong for a half length win.
Afterwards O'Sullivan, who was Leading Point to Point Handler in 2008/09, stated “he's a horse we always thought quite a bit of but had two wind operations in the summer and is only starting to come right now. He's in again on Friday and we'll see how he comes out of this.
“He ran well for a long way at Cheltenham last year and he'll continue to mix it between here and jumping.”
O'Brien, who retained his Jockeys' Championship last month, was earlier successful on Antiquus Deep Speed and Mountain Coral and achieved the notable feat when combining with four different trainers.
By Thomas Weekes, quotes from Gary Carson
