O'Keeffe bags both Limerick's big races

Jockey Sean O'Keeffe bagged both Limerick's feature races today, landing the Grade B Tim Duggan Memorial Handicap Chase on Maskada which completed an across-the-card double for trainer Henry De Bromhead.

O'Keeffe had earlier steered Willie Mullins' Allegorie De Vassy to an impressive Grade 2 win and on Maskada, scored on his second ride for De Bromhead, when beating Rebel Gold

Afterwards the rider said “she was very unlucky the last day in Fairyhouse and Darragh (O'Keeffe, jockey then) said she was going very well and told me about her. He told me she would be a good spin and should be bang there today.

“I wanted to get her settled in behind a few to get her to relax and in fairness she jumped very slick everywhere. Going to the second-last I thought I had them covered and she found a nice bit.

“It is a nice race to win, was a nice spare to get with the other jockeys being at Leopardstown so I'm very grateful to Henry and the owners for letting me ride the horse. That's my second ride for Henry and Ain't That A Shame, my first, was unlucky not to win the Munster National here (in October).”

De Bromhead, whose Gold Cup winner A Plus Tard was withdrawn with a knocked joint at Leopardstown, had earlier won the opener at the Dublin venue with Deep Cave