Amateur rider Brian O'Connell was continuing his good run when winning The Smirnoff Mares Q.R Maiden Hurdle Division 1 aboard the Paul Gilligan trained Present Gem at odds of 7/1.
Winning trainer Gilligan said afterwards, "This is a lucky track for me. The plan was to go over fences but she didn't get into Kilbeggan. She'll go over fences next but if we find another little hurdle race like this we'll go for that. All she does is stay, she'd stay all day. I only have her a couple of months, when we got her she was red raw with ulcers but after a course of medicine we got them cleared up."
