Eoin and Sean O'Brien pictured with Gort An Chnoic© Photo Healy Racing
Turnandgo looked something of a “penalty kick” for the amateur riders’ maiden hurdle having beaten all bar subsequent Grade 1 winner The Tullow Tank in a maiden hurdle at Naas last month but racing often doesn’t work out that simple.
The 1/10 favourite was being shoved along by Patrick Mullins to try and get to the front when stumbling badly on landing two out and unseating the champion amateur.
This left Gort An Chnoic clear, although the 10/1 chance really needed the line in the closing stages and only just held on by a nose from Willow Grange
Eoin O’Brien (25) from Mitchelstown, and a second cousin of winning trainer Sean O’Brien, was recording his first winner under rules aboard the first-time blinkered gelding, although he’s already got 25 winners under his belt on the point-to-point circuit.
Sean O’Brien said, “The blinkers helped and he’ll go for a winners’ race at Limerick over Christmas. The sooner he goes over fences the better and you couldn’t make enough use of him.”
Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes
