Gap closes just in time for O'Connell

St Lawrence Gap opened his account at the fourteenth attempt when getting up virtually on the line in an exciting finish to the Royal Ascot Extra Places At 188BET Maiden Hurdle at Roscommon.

Significant rain overnight and earlier in the day changed the going to soft, and the 14-runner field were well strung out approaching the straight.

Mark Bolger decided to let Boom Box bowl along in front after the Jessica Harrington-trained gelding ran very freely, and the tactics very nearly proved successful.

Bolger’s mount had them all in trouble entering the straight, and the 7/1 chance still looked a winner when about four lengths clear before the last.

However he couldn’t find any extra under pressure on the run-in as the Eoin Doyle-trained St Lawrence Gap stayed on best.

Brian O’Connell’s mount just got up in the shadow of the post to justify odds of 3/1 (joint favourite) by a head from the unfortunate Boom Box. Aretesone was a further three lengths adrift in third.

O’Connell said, “He's done it quite well and ground it out well. He got away with the ground as it's the first race but he'd prefer nice ground.

“He got a little caught for pace around halfway but stayed well and he'll possibly be better over a trip.”

(GC & AM)