O’Callaghan completes consecutive daily wins Curragh Flat trainer Michael O’Callaghan won with consecutive runners and registered a rare jumps winner at Navan today, as well-backed Positive Energy (2/1f) landed the opening Meath Farm Machinery Maiden Hurdle. Bought by O’Callaghan for 28,000gns last December, the four-year-old gelding today raced prominently under jockey Sean Flanagan, improved to lead before the last and comfortably held Springhill Warrior by 1.5 lengths. It was O’Callaghan’s first runner of the jumps campaign and having scored with Athlumney Warrior at Dundalk yesterday eveneing, quipped “it has been a good 24 hours and I’m one from one this (jumps) season! "It was a good effort on that ground because heavy jump ground is different to heavy Flat ground. He hasn't had form on it before. The fact that he was by Make Believe and we schooled him on it, we were happy enough that he might just get away with it. "They went sensible enough pace that it gave him a chance and he (Flanagan) said he has plenty of gears. He said he was a little bit novicey over a couple of them but was slick over a few of them as well. It is his first run over hurdles, so he is entitled to improve. Sean said he will be a nice hurdler going forward. "We bought him as a dual-purpose horse for a bit of fun and we’ll see where we go now. He might have a few runs on the Flat and there might be a novice hurdle for him in Galway in the summer." Quotes from Michael Graham
