O'Brien & Shinnick double up at Kilbeggan

After their win with Cathys Quest in the first division of the Sean Daly Cornaher Memorial Opportunity Handicap Hurdle, Terence O'Brien and John Shinnick quickly doubled their tallies for the season when Stellar Symphony (11/2) landed the second split of that three-miler.

Formerly trained by her breeder Edmond Kent, the daughter of Mahler was making just her second start for O'Brien who trains her for the TerenceOBrien Racing Syndicate.

After making steady headway on the final circuit, she got past Doyen For A Drink on the approach to the last and went on to beat that rival by three and a-half lengths. 

"I was confident enough that both of them seemed to be in good old form and they are both at the right end of the handicap," said O'Brien.

“We only have this mare a couple of months. We got her from Edmond Kent and in fairness to him he did say she should be able to win. He had a lot of horses and he gave us this one to lease and a local syndicate leased her. 

“It was a promising enough run the first day in Tramore and I was hoping that she might improve a bit here, she obviously did improve a good bit. 

“She was only beaten a few lengths off 91 in the past so she had the form and I didn't do anything extraordinary, just kept her healthy and in one piece. Luckily enough she did it well.” 

Quotes from Gary Carson