Lion Na Bearnai ticks the right boxes Matt O’Connor, who returned from the professional ranks three months ago, partnered his second winner in a week when taking the Conyngham Cup Handicap Chase at Punchestown this evening on the Tom Gibney trained Lion Na Bearnai. The son of New Frontier made all and while he appeared to have the race in safe keeping at the final fence, idled close home before eventually holding the challenge of Optimum Force (bumped into a rival after the fifth last fence). Winning trainer Gibney was not available for a comment while O’Connor, who took a serious fall at Thurles in March ’10 and took some months to recover, has his career back on track again having partnered another chase winner at Tipperary last Thursday (Merchant Royal). The Stewards subsequently disqualified Optimum Force from second place and suspended his rider Kevin Power for 14 days for dangerous riding, following an unsightly incident after the fifth last fence. Mikey O’Connor on Not Before Eight had attempted, unwisely considering how little room but how much racing time and ground was left, to get through on Optimum Force’s inner at the point. However, Power refused to left O’Connor through, severely hampering Not Before Eight (fortunate not to go through the rail) before the next fence. In a second incident before the next fence, O’Connor was himself found to have ridden "improperly" when bumping into Optimum Force. The Stewards subsequently suspended O'Connor for four days as a result of that incident. Somewhat more controversially, Optimum Force was subsequently disqualified from second place. Had Optimum Force passed the post in front, the Stewards’ decision would certainly have been much tougher one. Thomas Weekes
