Joseph O'Brien enjoyed a good day at Dundalk as he continued his battle to catch Gary Carroll and Ben Curtis at the head of the race to be crowned champion apprentice.
O'Brien, son of master trainer Aidan, started the day four behind the pace-setters on 35 winners and closed the gap to two with a double on the Polytrack.
And he could even have been level as the youngster was also on two runners-up.
Unfortunately for O'Brien, he was on the wrong Ballydoyle representative in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden as Last Crusade (11-2), ridden by Sean Levey, got the better of the O'Brien-ridden Pirate Chest
The two got close together inside the final furlong and an inquiry was called, but the placings remained unaltered.
O'Brien jnr made no mistake in the Christmas Parties At Dundalk Race, however, making all the running on 2-7 favourite Alexander Pope trained by his father.
"There was no point sitting in and going slow. He's uncomplicated," said the jockey.
"He'll be a nice horse next year over 10 furlongs. Hopefully he might stay a bit further as his dam is by Galileo."
O'Brien was caught close home in the www.dundalkstadium.com Handicap after trying to repeat the dose on Andrew Oliver's Anam Chara when course specialist Banna Boircha (11-4) got up to win by a neck under Shane Foley.
"He'll go to Dubai in January. He's entitled to go out there. Six, seven or a mile it's no difference to him," said winning trainer Mick Halford.
O'Brien was back in the winner's circle after giving Eddie Harty's Mr Pianist another positive ride in the Crowne Plaza Leading Jockey & Trainer Championship Handicap.
"He tries hard. Mr Harty said to ride him a bit handier today and he did it well in the end," said O'Brien of the 5-1 winner.
The betting suggested an O'Brien treble in the last but Pires fluffed his lines and finished last behind Elusive Ridge (9-2), who was a second winner on the spin for Pat Smullen who had struck in the preceding race on Hawa Bali (3-1).
