Coolmill (Cian Collins) 'wing' the final flight© Photo Healy Racing
Tenant Cian Collins got one over on his landlord Bryan Cooper when steering Coolmill to defeat Cooper's mount Knight's Parade in an incident packed five runner J.P. McManus Rated Hurdle at Cork today.
One to two favourite Daneking turned into the home straight with a clear lead and was travelling strongly but met the third last flight all wrong, giving his jockey Ruby Walsh little chance of staying on board, leaving Coolmill in front.
Coolmill maintained that lead to the winning line but not before a hair-raising bold leap (see photo) at the final flight, with only riderless Daneking in front.
However 17 year old Collins, riding just his second winner, kept the gelding going on the run-in for a half lengths win over the Cooper ridden Knight's Parade.
Afterwards winning trainer Denis O'Shea stated "he had been off form for a while but has been slowing coming back. He'll run in a 0-140 handicap hurdle on the Saturday of the Listowel Festival next."
Cooper, Collins and Robbie McNamara share a Cooper-owned house in Kildare.
By Tom Weekes
