Much to the delight of those that backed him from 7/1 earlier in the day, into 5/2, Theos Well had a rider that was coolness personified in Connor King, as Mick Winters' gelding landed the finale at Ballinrobe, the vaughanshoes.ie Ballinrobe Claremorris Castlebar Maiden.

Slowly into stride Theos Well was waited with by King, who was content to bide his time on the inner down the back as the race began to hot up.

In fairness the 3Ib claimer had a horse under him at the top of his game as he made a rapid move when asked from the two furlong pole.

King could even afford to lose his stick under a furlong out as the Tamure gelding strode on to see off odds-on favourite Cillian's Return by two and a quarter lengths.

"We lost our dough in Tipperary (beaten odds-on favourite in maiden hurdle

when 4th on May 14th)," acknowledged Winters.

"He ran a good race in Clonmel the time before that and Connor said to go further and we did.

"He is a hard horse to size up. He made the rest of them look bad there. He might go for an amateur race at Galway or he could go over hurdles at Cork."

(DM & EM)