Cul scores again, one year on

The competitive O'Keeffe, O'Shea, O'Connor Solicitors Handicap over a mile went the way of 20/1 outsider Cul A Dun for his trainer John Murphy with Leigh Roche aboard.

The 5yo son of Soviet Star had shown nothing on his five starts this season and finished a poor thirteenth of fifteen last time out at Listowel in June behind Royal Blue Star.

However he won this race last year and repeated the dose today making progress to move close up two furlongs out. He then produced his challenged and soon led under a furlong from home, staying on well from there to draw clear and win comfortably by three lengths from Shirley Blake at 9/1 back in second.

The 5/1 favourite Beauty Express for Paul Deegan and Willie Supple finished a further length and three parts back in third.

Winning trainer John Murphy said afterwards: "I ran him three or four times too quick, so we decided to leave him alone until there was a bit of juice in the ground. He was crying out for a bit of juice."

Donal Murphy