Maxine O'Sullivan and Pals Leg© Photo Healy Racing
Maxine O'Sullivan gave Pals Leg a perfectly judged ride to claim the beginners chase at Tramore this afternoon.
13/8 favourite Sugar Bullet inherited the lead after the third in the 2m5f event when Abolitionist slipped up on the flat.
Pals Leg, trained by the jockey's father Eugene, was delivered to challenge at the second last and soon hit the lead.
The Accordion gelding galloped on strongly in the closing stages to see off the late challenge of Classic Event by two lengths.
The well backed 4/1 winner (opened 6/1) had been placed twice over hurdles last month and the former point-to-point winner was making his chasing debut.
“That gave me great pleasure to win with Maxine on board. There is a bit of competition between herself and her brother (Eoin) for the rides!” said the winning trainer.
“He's a lovely horse but has been unlucky all his life and it took ages to get to today. He's been meeting some better horses than him.
“Derek O'Connor rode him in a point-to-point and said never to run him on bottomless ground again. I was running him on the wrong ground during the summer also.”
It was a first winner over fences for Maxine O'Sullivan, on her first ride outside of hunter chases. She had previously partnered a bumper winner and has ridden 17 point-to-point winners.
(Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes)
