Blacklooks (centre in brown and pink colours) gets up in the last stride to touch off Ecoeye (red)© Photo Healy Racing
There was a thrilling, and significant, finish to the Follow Limerick Racecourse On Instagram Handicap as Donnacha O’Brien forced Blacklooks (4/1 jt-fav) up between horses to lead on the line for a nose success.
O’Brien’s jockeys’ title rival Colin Keane had looked as if he might win on MK Drama (11/1) as that one went head to head with Ecoeye (13/2) inside the final furlong, but O’Brien got a last burst from his mount to touch off the latter, with Keane’s mount just a head further back in third. Youceeyouceecee (10/1) was fourth and the other 4/1 joint-favourite Lady in Lavender was fifth.
Today’s double edges Donnacha O’Brien one winner ahead of Colin Keane in the tussle to be champion jockey.
Donnacha O’Brien, riding the winner for his brother Joseph, commented: “If I got beaten it would have been the second time I'm after getting him beaten.
“They went flat out so I said I'd sit back off them. They went very hard and turning into the straight I said I may start making ground but I couldn't see for most of the race so I just had to keep pushing.
"He tries his heart out and goes on any ground."
Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes
