Third time lucky for O'Brien's Cinammon Coco A beaten favourite on his first two starts over hurdles, the Joseph O'Brien trained Cinammon Coco got off the mark at the third time of asking in the opening Golden Cow 3-Y-O Hurdle at Down Royal. Rated 72 on the Flat, the gelding benefitted from previous experiences at Killarney and Ballinrobe respectively to justify 6/5f under Danny Mullins. Held up in mid division, the market leader warmed to his task as the race unfolded. Travelling nicely in third after three out, Cinammon Coco came through to head Hopes Are High at the penultimate flight. Despite a less than fluent leap at the last, he kept on strongly to beat the eventual runner-up Combs by nine-and-a-half lengths. Danny Mullins said: "Quick ground around here, jumps coming at you fast - he used that experience and jumped sharp this evening. Got under the last a little bit, probably just idling in front but a horse that's definitely progressing. "I think so (JJ Slevin has a good book of rides in Wexford) because even chatting to JJ earlier, he definitely fancied him. He thought with natural improvement from Ballinrobe the last day, he would be able to be very competitive here, so I'm glad he has gone that way (Wexford). "He's the type of horse I think you won't see the best of him until horses really go at it in a race and put him under pressure early. It is a nice performance there, but there's loads of scope still to come from him. "It is fairly quick. I was riding an ex-Flat horse with experience, but they aren't getting their toe in too far!" Additional reporting by Michael Graham.
