Condon doubles up on Curley Bill

Two races in at Cork and a double landed for jockey Davy Condon at the short odds of almost 1/2.

He brought his double up on Curley Bill who went off at 1/3 (from 8/15 on opening show) to score in the two mile maiden hurdle. Again Condon didn’t need to get serious with the five-year-old in the hood.

The pair were tanking along behind the pace cut out by Smile and upon clearing the final flight in the lead cruised towards the line. Fantasy King stayed on well for Andrew McNamara to be beaten by two and a quarter lengths at 8/1. Front-runner Smile kept on for third, beaten the same distance, for trainer/jockey Mikey O’Connor at 25/1.

“It was simple enough, he didn’t have that much to beat. He won easily,” trainer Noel Meade commented.

“He should be a force in those good novice races. He’ll jump better when they are going quicker. We will put his flat career on hold until next year.

“He might go to Listowel for a novice hurdle. He’ll have a rest over the winter during the worst of the ground.”

Curley Bill had won a flat handicap over a mile and a half at the Galway Festival at the start of the month.

Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes