Double Double gains deserved hurdling success

As a spectacle the Great Oak Maiden Hurdle wasn't helped by injuries sustained by Bankers Beauty and Hammersmith but after that racegoers were treated to an exciting conclusion as Double Double with Andrew McNamara up, got the better of Philip Enright and Its The Ice I Like on the run-in at Gowran.

This pair were joint favourites at 9/4 and from before the last it looked like the hitherto luckless Double Double would get the better of the argument. However a mistake there threatened to scupper the successful Sakhee gelding's bid but to his credit he battled gamely to prevail by a neck. Well-backed Shannon Spirit (7s this morning into 4s) had to settle for fourth place.

Charles O'Brien trains Double Double for Paul McMahon and he said: "He ran a couple of times on ground that was too bad for him. I'd suppose in hindsight we regret running him then.

"He'll get a couple of weeks off now before going to Fairyhouse and Punchestown. In fairness he was getting one too many 2s beside his name so it's nice to get a win." (GC & EM)