Dora D'or lands Down Royal Hunter Chase for O'Sullivan The Ross O'Sullivan trained Dora D'or won for the first time under Rules when staying on strongly to land the Bluegrass Resolve Cube Hunters Chase at Down Royal. A three-time point-to-point winner, the Mme J Scarisbrick owned mare was sent to post a well backed 9/4f (from 10/1). Held up early on by Lee Shanahan, the seven-year-old moved closer to track the leaders at halfway. Going second with four fences to jump, Dora D'or headed leader Hathaways Cottage at the penultimate obstacle. Keeping on well from the back of the last, O'Sullivan's charge ran out a comfortable six-length winner from Focus Point. Lee Shanahan said: "I was a little bit worried it might be a bit quick for her, but she proved that it didn't bother her at all. Travelled brilliantly the whole way throughout the race and kind of quietly confident down the back jumping the fifth last. "I was full of running going to the last, and she won well, and galloped to the line. Winged the last and kept on running - that's her, she hasn't got many gears, but she stays galloping. "She's a proper hunter-chaser mare. "I'm sure Ross will make a plan and then probably a hunters chase in Cork, maybe. We'll see, it will be up to Ross. "I'm based with Ross and have been there the last nine years. I'm originally from Dublin and I went to the apprentice school in RACE back when I was 16. It has all snowballed from there, I suppose. "I grew up watching racing and had a background in hunting. I wanted to be a jockey and here we are now. "I'm definitely light enough (for the paid ranks), but I suppose you'd need enough ammunition behind you to turn pro. It's not to say that I wouldn't think about it but, for now, I'm kind of happy building up contacts and trying to ride as many winners as possible. Then, if I was going the right way, I'd consider it but, for now, I'm going to stay amateur." Additional reporting by Michael Graham.
