Cocofred gets up late under O'Keeffe Firebrand made a bold bid to make all in the Charlie Foley's Rated Novice Hurdle at Killarney but Alan O’Sullivan’s mount was worn down in the final strides by Cocofred (10/3). The front-runner was clear early in the straight and when Lips Freedom took a tired fall two out, Cocofred moved into second. The Vadamos gelding, trained for Jamie Allday by Henry de Bromhead, still had plenty to do at that point but gradually eroded the deficit and claimed the leader close home for a neck success. “I thought if he recaptured his Roscommon form (beat today’s first-race winner Astelia in a maiden), he’d have every chance,” said winning rider Darragh O’Keeffe. “I felt you could draw a line through his run the last day, when he didn’t run his race at Kilbeggan. “Going to the last, I thought I was going to win snug, but I didn’t fly the last and gave Alan (O’Sullivan, on Firebrand) another chance. I thought he showed a good attitude, then, from the last to the line.” Quotes from Tom Weekes
