Deor and Darragh O'Keeffe © Photo Healy Racing
Darragh O’Keeffe partnered his second feature race winner of the week at Listowel as Deor returned to form with avengeance in the M J Carroll ARRO Handicap Hurdle.
The 18-year-old was aboard Ballyoisin when landing the valuable Ladbrokes Ireland Listowel Handicap Hurdle on Thursday, and he gave the John Kiely-trained gelding an accomplished ride here.
The 10/1 chance travelled strongly to head the front-running Internal Transfer (heavily backed into 7/4 favouritism) approaching the second last, and drew right away from the final flight.
The winning margin over the favourite was seven lengths at the line, with High Sparrow a further two and a quarter lengths back in third.
Kiely said, "He had a nice racing weight for a horse of his size. When a small horse is up and around 11st10lbs, they are a stone out of their league but they are ten times a better horse when they come back down to ten stone.
"Darragh rode him the last day and he jumped much better today. Darragh's claim gave him every chance and it is his first winner for me."
(TW & AM)
