Keane doubles up on progressive Phoenix Cowboy

Having been a close second on handicap debut at Ballinrobe last month, Phoenix Cowboy (7/2) went one better when readily winning the concluding McEnery Cup Handicap.

The Gleneagles gelding tracked the leaders before coming through to head the front-running Palace Rock (10/3) before the furlong marker and quickly went clear to score by four lengths.

Palace Rock took second with the 3/1 favourite Beyond Happy a further three quarters of a length away in third place.

It was a double at odds of a little over 75/1 for Colin Keane after his earlier win on Stormy Jenn

Tom Madden was unseated from the subsequently withdrawn Espouse on the way to the start and was sent for x-rays on his injured ankle.

Shane Lyons, assistant to winning trainer Ger Lyons, said: "It is great to win the McEnery Cup - John and Paul are great friends of ours, we've been lucky buying plenty of horses from them and their cousin Marie Lou (McEnery) is our secretary at home.

"Colin was delighted with him, we thought he wanted plenty cut in the ground but he loved that today, being on the easy side of good. He moved brilliantly, won well and that is going to open up a lot more doors.

"He'll get further, that was a 0-100 and a Premier Handicap could be his next target. He has allowed himself to get into a handicap on Champions Weekend so we'll have some fun."

Quotes from Thomas Weekes