Teak-tough Sharjah gives O'Brien 1st double

Donnacha O'Brien registered the first double of his career when bringing home the remarkably tough and consistent Sharjah a winner of the concluding Fundraising Made Easy At Dundalk Stadium Handicap.

O'Brien may have got beaten on two favourites earlier on the card, in Strategic Heights (3rd) and Song Of Love (2nd), but things took a turn for the better on his mother and father's Bishan Bedi winner of the third.

In the concluding well-contested mile and a half event, the Slattery family's Sharjah again came out on top from Eye Of The Tiger like he'd done a fortnight previous, to win his fifth race here since October 31st, and his third in a row.

Winning trainer Andy Slattery reasoned: "He was more impressive tonight than any other night. I keep saying I'm going to give him a break but how can I give him a break when he's running like that-surely they'll give him the horse of the year here.

"He'll run next Friday over a mile and a quarter here. Donnacha says it's ideal trip.

"Donnacha's getting good and he'll ride him next Friday." (MG & EM)