O'Connell doubles up in the West again

Eddie O'Connell, who has recently moved to agent, Niall Cronin, is a rider who is no doubt fond of his travels to the West and after partnering a double at Sligo in May, he repeated the feat at Ballinrobe when the same horse that completed his brace in Sligo, Vivaldi did the needful again in the Eamon Sheridan Plant Hire Novice Hurdle.

Kildare native, O'Connell, successful on City Hustler an hour earlier, didn't look likely to be in the number one berth again when Vivaldi struggled in third from the second last. However, the son of Montjeu (his second winner of the night following on from Hail Caesar stayed on to take the lead from Killogan Lass before the last and he went on to prevail by a length and three parts from Waterloo Chateau (jumped left and relinquished the lead four out).

Cecil Mahon, representing winning trainer, Jimmy Lambe said: "He'll probably go to Galway or maybe Sligo, he seems to like both courses. He stays well and he is a tough little horse."