Eddie O’Connell has every chance, at this early stage, of winning the Conditional Jockeys’ Championship, having moved onto the 16 winner mark after completing a double on unconsidered 33/1 outsider Lake Return following his win in the Britvic NI Beginners Chase at Downpatrick today.
O’Connell sat dead-last on the son of Bob’s Return (returned with a Betfair of 130) before progressing through the field from three out to eventually get his head in front on the run-in for a length and a half win over Closesthingtocrazy
Winning Tramore based trainer Pat Flavin was not present but his son John Flavin, soon to take over the license, was on hand to greet the winner and stated “I am waiting for the next trainers’ course to get my license but there isn’t one until the new year.”
He added “Lake Return can be very keen and I told Eddie (O’Connell) to drop him out and try to make him relax. He has shown be plenty at home and I was hoping he would show me more on the track.”
“We’ve put in a new gallop in our base at Tramore and have eight horses in training at present.”
Flavin Jnr, 24, partnered winners as an amateur and professional rider before a heavy fall at Wetherby some time ago left him with a fractured skull He added "my weight went wrong when I recovered from thatfall and I decided to try training instead."
