Crosse doubles up as title looms

Carol's Return (8/1) brought up a Galway double for Shane Crosse when obliging in division one of the mile and a half handicap.

She began to motor on the outside two and a half furlongs from home and tacked on to One Cool Poet entering the straight.

One Cool Poet set sail for home under Ben Coen with over a furlong to negotiate but Carol's Return swept by them inside the final furlong and quickly asserted to score by three and a half lengths.

The placings were occupied by One Cool Poet (5/1jf), Sunnyhill Lad (8/1) and Yo Tambien at 6/1 in second, third and fourth respectively.

This put Crosse five clear in the race for the apprentice jockeys' crown and it certainly is well within his grasp with the curtain coming down on the Flat season on Sunday.

Trainer William Durkan's assistant Gary Bannon said: "She probably wanted soft ground all year but we didn't get it for her. She ran really well in a maiden here at the festival so we thought back in handicaps she would get her head in front.

"We thought she should be bang there today and she jumps a hurdle well so we'll probably go hurdling."

Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes