Unstoppable Darragh O'Keeffe guides Sam Allen's Lonesome Boatman to glory at Cork Racecourse

The winter season kicked off in earnest on Sunday afternoon at Cork Racecourse in Mallow, which attracted a huge attendance. 

The €45,000 Paddy Power Cork Grand National went to Doneraile jockey Darragh O’Keeffe, fresh from his momentous weekend in Down Royal. He landed the day's feature for Araglin trainer Sean Allen aboard Lonesome Boatman, under an enterprising ride to give the trainer the biggest success of his career. 

O'Keeffe continued in a rich vein of form at his local track, recording a treble to round off arguably the best weekend of his career. He landed the opener on Mister Pessimistic and followed up on Echoing Silence before that dashing ride sealed a terrific treble in the Cork National.

Sean Allen, who is primarily involved in farming, landed the biggest success of his training career with Lonesome Boatman in the €45,000 Paddy Power Grand National. His cousin is Australian-based jockey Johnny Allen who landed the 2021 Cox Plate aboard State of Rest. Darragh Allen, Sean's brother, is also a well-known rider. 

Lonesome Boatman made all the running under the irrepressible Doneraile jockey to beat Robert Tyner's Big Debates by six lengths sparking off jubilant scenes. It only seems like yesterday that Sean was an amateur jockey winning a maiden hurdle at Listowel on Knockaunmore for Kilworth owner/trainer Mary Buttimer.

O'Keeffe and Henry De Bromhead continued their golden sequence with Mister Pessimistic in the opening division of the maiden hurdle. He was backed from 1-2 into 4/11 to and took control jumping the second hurdle. His supporters only had one anxious moment when he paddled through the second last. 

That briefly gave Grey Jude some hope but the jolly pinged the final flight, en route to a two-and-three-quarter lengths success. The runner-up lost no caste in defeat and looks a moral for a maiden hurdle. The winner is likely to have a tilt at the Grade One Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown next month Echoing Silence was the middle leg of O'Keeffe's treble in the mares' maiden hurdle.

She sported the iconic silks made famous by Honeysuckle. Darragh loomed large at the second-last travelling ominously well with the proverbial double handful. She stretched clear to beat market drifter Divaboriva by six lengths. The runner-up will improve and remains a mare to follow. The De Bromhead yard landed a Grade 3 with another mare (Full Of Life) at Down Royal on Friday.

Conna trainer Sean Aherne landed the Handicap Hurdle with King In Love. He initiated a double for Wexford jockey Sean O'Keeffe. The winner relished the conditions. He'd been disappointing since a nasty experience at Fairyhouse, but dug deep today to beat Eastmore at 14/1 for owner Eoin Barry. Sean O’Keeffe completed a double after a confident ride on Tackletommywoowoo for Declan Queally in the €27,500 Paddy Power Novice Hurdle beating Good Girl Kathleen and the 13/8 favourite Card counter. The winner relished today's test of stamina.

Ol Man Dingle landed the Grade 3 Novice Chase to supplement his recent Galway success. The form of that victory was franked by the runner-up last weekend.

Ricky Doyle again got a great tune out of the winner as he quickened up nicely to deny You Oughta Know. The well-backed favourite Mossy Fen Park made a few costly mistakes, that proved peripheral.