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Deserved win for O'Connell on Taken Twice

Royal Chief (farside), The Bold Beckey and Taken Twice (nearest) jump the last together Royal Chief (farside), The Bold Beckey and Taken Twice (nearest) jump the last together
© Photo Healy Racing

After finishing second, third and fourth on his three earlier ride this afternoon Brian O’Connell got a deserved win to his name as he partnered Taken Twice to victory in the Casey Concrete Gorey Handicap Hurdle.

The Michael McDonagh owned and trained eight-year-old was placed at Ballinrobe and Navan last month but he could only manage a well-beaten eighth on his last start at Tipperary.

Having opened at 7/1 on-course this afternoon he was sent off at 6’s and was settled in mid-division on the outer.

He improved into a closer fourth before the third last and was ridden after the next.

He jumped the last in a dispute of the lead and soon hit the front, keeping on well from there to score by three and three parts of a length. Shabra Charity kept on nicely to finish second at 14/1 under Jonathan Moore for Anthony McCann while Royal Chief (8's to 7/1) was a further head back in third under Adam O’Neill for Eoin Doyle. The Bold Beckey was sent off the 5/2 favourite but she could only manage fourth under Shane Crimin for TJ Nagle. Stoughan Cross (25's in a place this morning and from 8/1 to 6/1 on-course) was the gamble of the race but he finished a well-beaten ninth.

Brian O’Connell said afterwards: “He had a disappointing run the last day over three miles at Tipperary, we rode him a little bit too handy the same day. He was back to two and a half miles today.

"Good ground is the key to him, he had a good run at Ballinrobe and also at Navan. Everything went his way today and he got into a nice rhythm."

About Donal Murphy
Donal graduated from Maynooth University in 2010 with a BBS in Equine Business and since attained a diploma in Sports Journalism from Dublin Business School. He holds a variety of roles in the horse racing industry, reporting for the Press Association and p2p.ie, while also working for SIS and the Tote. From Wexford, he is a keen runner and has completed over 100 parkruns at various locations around the country.