O'Sullivan doubles up on newcomer Raya Time Sam Curling introduced subsequent Grade One winner Summerville Boy to land the ladies' bumper on debut last year and repeated the feat this evening with Raya Time. Maxine O'Sullivan was on board and this success gave her a double as she also took the mare's maiden hurdle on board her father Eugene O'Sullivan's Citizen Al (10/1). For this assignment, Raya Time closed on the leaders with six furlongs to negotiate. He travelled strongly on the outer to pick up the lead as the runners raced past the three pole. The five-year-old gelding drew clear of Jan Maat coming to the final furlong and scorched home by 14 lengths. He attracted plenty of money during the day at 4/1 before being returned at 9/4. Jan Maat was a 12/1 chance and he was eight lengths in front of Ring The Moon (20/1). Sam Curling said: "He is a good horse and his work was very good. He was ready to run in the autumn and in fairness to Nicky (Teehan, owner) he gave him plenty time and was very easy to deal with and did what was right by the horse and he got a lot stronger over the winter. "He'll be sold now. I don't know if he was as good last year's winner (Summerville Boy) but he has done everything we've asked him at home. "Summerville Boy was always a very good horse and they're hard to come by those horses but this horse is a good horse. He always showed us plenty of pace." Summerville Boy won this year's Grade One Supreme Novices' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival for trainer Tom George. Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes
