Dooly delighted with Rockview Emperor

Rockview Emperor fended off Invernata o take the honours in the O'Shea's Hotel Handicap over a mile and a half in Tramore.

He had been available at 16/1 this morning but was returned at 8/1.

The six-year-old gelding raced in mid-division before progressing onto the heels of the leaders with half a mile to go.

He was given a squeeze by Denis Linehan inside the final three furlongs and swiftly moved into contention on the outside.

He hit the front inside the two and was ridden to go on and win his race. A couple of lengths gap was poached coming to the final furlong and they were needed as Invernata finished strongly for second.

She couldn't quite reel in Rockview Emperor and went down by half a length at 33/1. Shan Dun Na Ngall was a further length and a quarter away in third at 4/1.

Handler Noel Dooly said: "He got no run in Galway, Colin (Keane) said he was tanking it the whole way down the back. We have been toying with putting the hood on him for a long time but I decided to put it on him today. We had been saving it for Tramore and it made all the difference, he settled beautifully. Denis gave him a peach of a ride and he is going to be good.

"He was even struggling to stay a mile and two but I tried the hood on him at home and it does work. He was just too buzzy at Galway. Colin said he should have been placed but everywhere he went he met trouble.

"He is a grand horse, we bought him off Done Deal for a couple of grand. He is so consistent, he is a funny horse but he really tries. If you can get him settled at all he'll always be in the placings.

"He jumps hurdles well, I'd love to see if he'd get two miles over hurdles. I don't know whether John Cullen would come back out of retirement to settle him for me. He was a great man to settle a horse."

Additional reporting by Donal Murphy