The Fonze continued his love affair with Tramore when despite proving very easy in the market, the son of Desert Sun powered up the hill in customary fashion to gain his third course success in the Waterford & Tramore Racecourse Supporters Steeplechase and atone for finishing third in the corresponding event twelve months ago.
Shay Barry forced Eoin Doyle's nine-year-old into the lead between the last two and he was soon clear on the way to a four length victory over local runner, Anothercoppercoast Snowy Morning the 13/8 joint favourite, came home well without threatening after not jumping fluently enough, to finish a further short head back in third. One Cool Cookie made a mistake four out and soon after that he was gone, ending up beating only two home.
The bang-in-form Doyle said: "He loves it around here. Shay said he was hating the ground at the top of the hill but he came up the hill at the end strongly. He is so highly rated that it is hard to know where he'll go next.
"If we could find a suitable race for him at Cheltenham he'd go there. He is not as effective over hurdles but he is only rated 114 at that game so we have the option of going for a handicap."
Eoin Doyle has now trained three winners in a row, following on from Without The Bop and Sciatin's wins here yesterday. Shay Barry of course has been aboard all three. The Waterford man's other mounts at this two day meet have finished third and second twice.
Doyle and Barry went on to complete a 44 and a half to one double with Chebona Bula in the David Flynn Construction Novice Handicap Hurdle.
