O'Neill marks Irish return with Connacht Oaks win

Former English and French-based Eoghan O'Neill won his first notable race since returning to train in Ireland last year, as No Niki No (7/2) landed Sligo's featured Irish Stallion Farms EBF Connacht Oaks Fillies Handicap today.

O'Neill returned to his native Kildare last year and having trained two winners in 2023, today notched a fifth this year, as No Niki No made virtually all to score under this year's Epsom Oaks-winning jockey Chris Hayes.

No Niki No had been strongly pressed by Beechwood in the closing stages but held on for a neck win, with O'Neill reporting "she's tough and deserved to win a nice prize like that.

“Chris recommended the last day that we take the blinkers off and he was right. She enjoys an ease in the ground so that helped too.

"She'll go for the Petingo Handicap at Leopardstown on Irish Champions Weekend; she was fifth in it last year and then we might look for a bit of blacktype in the autumn when the ground eases. She's an eight-year-old now and this might be her last season but she retains all her enthusiasm.”

Quotes from Mark Nunan