O'Keeffe excels on Bojak

Under a never say die Darragh O'Keeffe ride, Bojak collared odds-on favourite Hypotenus in the opener at Cork, the Sign Up To Our Newsletter Maiden Hurdle.

The lesser fancied of two Henry de Bromhead trained runners in the line-up, the Benjamin Halsall-owned victor, who was a dual winner on the level in France, was sent off at 12/1.

With Ben Harvey and Hypotenus setting a strong pace from the front, O'Keeffe was content to settle his mount well off the gallop, jumping four out in a moderate fifth.

Closer in second from the next, he was ridden before the final flight and despite a sloppy jump there, he finished strongly, getting up in the final strides to prevail by half-a-length.

Returned at 1/2, Hypotenus had to settle for second, while Mercury Mission (9/1) was all of 31-lengths back in third under Shane Fitzgerald.

"He ran very well here first time out over hurdles and then I got the tactics wrong at Tramore when he ran too keen," de Bromhead commented.

"We said we'd drop him in today and see. I'd say the front few horses might have gone a bit too hard and the race fell apart in the end.

"He saw it out well and hopefully we can have a bit of fun with him.

"I'm delighted for Ben Halsall who owns him and claimed him in France."

Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes