Asterion Forlonge and Sean O'Keeffe© Photo Healy Racing
Asterion Forlonge joined another old favourite Sir Gerhard in winning at Cork today, landing the featured Grade 3 Bar One Racing Chase to provide jockey Sean O'Keeffe with a double on both Willie Mullins-trained horses.
Both stablemates had finished unplaced in the recent Stayers Hurdle and with dual Cheltenham festival winner Sir Gerhard having earlier won under O'Keeffe, Asterion Forlonge doubled-up in the two-runner featured chase.
Asterion Forlonge has had a checkered career since his sole Grade 1 success in a February 2020 novice hurdle and having finished seventh in the 2022 Cheltenham Gold Cup, his error prone tendencies prompted connections to revert to hurdling.
Today, 158-rated Asterion Forlonge returned to fences and successfully conceded 1lb to sole rival Lucid Dreams perfectly beating his 143-rated rival by 14 lengths.
It was the grey veteran's first chase win since April 2021 and with Mullins at Fairyhouse, O'Keeffe said “Asterion Forlonge always likes to jump right, that's just his way of doing it but overall he jumped well. His jumping isn't going to change now with his age but it was a good performance.
“We went a nice gallop, didn't hang around and it is nice to get another win with him.”
He added “I gave him a pop yesterday and he has always been a very good jumper at home and just has his own way of doing it. He is a high class horse and was bang there in those top Grade 1 chases so the ability is there.
“He has been around a long time, he has been a right horse and they (himself and Sir Gerhard) are two top horses so it is great to get the opportunity to ride them.”
