Double delight for owner/rider Aine O'Connor

Forgetthesurprise winner of a Killarney bumper nearly two years ago, opened her account over hurdles with some style in division two of the Gormanlough Handicap Hurdle at Navan.

Owned and ridden by Aine O’Connor and trained by her future father-in-law Niall Madden, the well-backed 9/2 (from 8/1) chance led approaching the third last in this 2m6f event.

O’Connor oozed confidence as the seven-year-old mare took complete control from the penultimate flight and stayed on strongly on the run-in for a facile 13 lengths verdict over Fire Love De Grey Mink was three lengths further back in third with Frazel Express in fourth.

O'Connor said, "“That's my first winner as an owner. I actually had a few runners in an old set of colours and I decided to change them.

“My sister said to me you need to have a bit of pink in them for luck and it's my first runner in these colours.

“She did it very well, I couldn't believe how well she was doing it. I won a bumper on her, that's her only other win.

“She's a lovely mare, very straight-forward. She's a relation to Shake The Bucket (out of a half-sister) so it's nice that the Maddens have another one.”

It's a welcome change of fortune for O'Connor who was sidelined for nearly four months earlier this year with a broken ankle.

(GC & AM)