Native Speaker and Darragh O'Keeffe© Photo Healy Racing
Darragh O'Keeffe completed a Fairyhouse double today, as the in-form jockey landed the Irish National Hunt Steeplechase CLG Beginners Chase on the Henry De Bromhead-trained Native Speaker (9/4).
O'Keeffe, successful earlier on the Mouse Morris-trained Whatsavailable has filled-in for injured Rachael Blackmore on De Bromhead's runners since mid-September and on Native Speaker made all the running, as the pair held Will Do (6/5f) by 4.75 lengths.
Robert Power represented De Bromhead and stated “he won his maiden hurdle in Kilbeggan but we were bitterly disappointed with him in Sligo but that was much more pleasing. It was a non-event that day and for whatever reason he just didn’t turn up.
“That was much more like what he showed us at home, his schooling and everything. He jumped from fence to fence, and Darragh is riding with plenty of confidence. He was good and positive over the last two.
“Ground is important to him, he wants nice ground, so we’ll see what the weather does and where we go next. That was as short as he wants, and three miles is what we are looking for but in fairness he showed a nice bit of pace off the bend down to the second last. He’s a three-mile chaser.”
Quotes from Alan Magee
