Another hat-trick for Double Seven Double Seven completed a hat-trick of wins at Kilbeggan, as he took the Hackett’s Bookmakers Handicap Chase, under Mark Walsh for Martin Brassil. The seven-year-old son of Milan won over the course and distance in June, before following up in the Midlands National last month. Sent off the 4/1 joint-favourite this evening, he raced in mid-division for much of the contest, before making headway into fifth at the third last. He stayed on into second before the last, hitting the front on the run-in, and he kept on well to score comfortably by five and a half lengths. The Noel Meade trained Fisher Bridge ran well to take second at 11/1, Davy Condon’s fourth second place finish of the evening, while the front-running Norther Bay was eleven lengths back in third under Eddie O’Connell for Eoin Griffin at 12/1. However after a Stewards Enquiry, Norther Bay was demoted to fourth with Glenstar (16/1), for John Ryan and David Splaine, being awarded third place Norther Bay was adjudged to have interfered with Glenstar on the run-in. Annie Other was the other joint-favourite, but she finished a disappointing last of the eleven runners. Remarkably the JP McManus owned victor already recorded a hat-trick earlier in his career, winning three hurdles in succession at Tipperary, Galway and Tipperary again. Mark Walsh said afterwards: "He is a different horse this year on the better ground. He is small and just can’t go through the soft. "The ground is a huge help to him and hopefully he can keep improving." Additional reporting by Alan Magee
