Levins and O'Connor team up again at Naas

Donagh O’Connor and Johnny Levins have certainly enjoyed their visits to Naas this month and successfully teamed up here for the third meeting in a row as Dark Magic showed his better side in the 45-65 rated mile handicap.

The six-year-old gelding refused to enter the stalls here on Saturday but put that episode behind him to land this 18-runner event at odds of 11/1.

The son of Invincible Spirit, who also scored at Dundalk over the winter, got a lovely split between horses in the straight and kept on well inside the final furlong to collar Accladora in the closing stages.

The winning margin was a length at the line, with 7/2 favourite Mountain Fox a further head away in third and Nam completing the places in fourth.

Levins said, “He wouldn’t go into the stalls here on Saturday. We were keen to get him out again today and he benefitted from a beautiful ride.

“He obviously has his quirks but if things fall right for him then he has plenty of ability. I think the secret to him is that he needs to be loaded very early. Unfortunately he was loaded late the last day.

“The horses are in great form and are healthy and well. Some are taking a run and some aren’t. The staff have played a blinder through lockdown and the owners have been brilliant to me.”