O'Keeffe breezes to a double on Eastern Wind Darragh O'Keeffe rode a quick-fire double in Tipperary aboard Eastern Wind after notable drama at the penultimate flight in the mares' maiden hurdle. Eastern Wind raced in a close second jumping it, however, she was left in the lead when the front-runner Whispering Hopes fell. Fifth-running Mile End was hampered by the faller and unseated Eoin Walsh. O'Keeffe saw his opportunity and soon asked Eastern Wind to increase her lead on the run to the last. She wasn't home yet, though, as Lady Bee Great stayed on into second on the run-in and kept coming. Eastern Wind (9/1) held the 14/1 runner-up by a diminishing half length at the winning post. Gambled-on Nothing Hectic (28/1 - 11/1) rounded out the placings. Tom McCourt said: “She was getting the hang of it as she went on and jumped slick over the last couple. Darragh said the quicker they went, the better she jumped. “She probably idled a bit in front going up to the line. “She goes on any kind of ground, and we’ll have plenty of fun with her over the summer. She’ll mix it with Flat and hurdles. “It was great to win over a mile and a half (in Bellewstown) the last day which opens up more options for her.” O'Keeffe won the opener on Ballyearl for Henry de Bromhead. Additional reporting by Alan Magee
