LAKEMILAN gained a third win at Grade B level when winning the featured coopsuperstores.ie Handicap Chase at Cork last Sunday, leading home a one-two for her trainer Terence O’Brien and claiming a first graded win for her jockey Conor McNamara.

McNamara produced the daughter of Milan to lead approaching the second last fence and at the line had the pair passed the post eight and a half lengths ahead of stablemate and last season’s Arkle Trophy third Articulum.

Lakemilan brought her career earnings to €198,000, which includes three wins and four runner-up efforts at Grade B level, and afterwards Carrigtwohill trainer O’Brien said: “She had been so consistent all year, was in good form and keeps improving and is an amazing filly, in fairness to her.

“There is nothing of her there but she keeps improving, keeps eating and holding herself together. I wasn’t sure when the fall-off would happen but it hasn’t happened yet and that was an improvement again.

“Today was the target for a good while so I’m not sure where we go but she is going to be a 135 [rated] mare now.

“I was also thrilled with Articulum but I didn’t think he travelled great throughout the race. I told Philip (Enright) not to be hard on him as it was his first run back and from a long way out he wasn’t going to win the race.”

The other chase on the card, the half-hour earlier Irish Stallion Farms EBF Beginners Chase, was won by the Noel Meade-trained, Gigginstown House Stud-owned Dream Conti, under jockey Mark Walsh.

Eventual runner-up Demain Des L’aube arrived to head Dream Conti with a fast jump at the last but the latter rallied on the run-in to regain the lead close home and score a half-length win.

Demain Des L’aube’s jockey Rachael Blackmore had earlier steered the opening winner, the Shark Hanlon-trained Dime A Dozen in the Red Mills Irish EBF (Mares) Auction Maiden Hurdle.

The daughter of Jeremy was sent to post the 1/2 favourite and won with little fuss, stretching clear from the second last before beating runner-up Molly Wedger by four lengths.

Dime A Dozen, a dual point-to-point winner, won last season’s Gain Mares Final at Ballynoe, and following the race Hanlon stated: “She is a right little mare. She is very consistent and will get a break now and come back for the final at the Punchestown Festival.”

Willie Mullins lost his stable stalwart Wicklow Brave tragically in Far Hills in New Jersey on Saturday but the champion trainer and his stable jockey Paul Townend registered a winner here as the Blue Blood Racing Club-owned Zola landed the I.N.H. Stallion Owners EBF Novice Hurdle.

The daughter of Court Cave was produced by Townend to lead from the second last flight and held a three-length lead over Battle Of Midway at the line.

EIGHTEEN-year-old Englishman Oakley Brown registered a first winner over jumps when steering Linger to win the Matchbook Betting Exchange Handicap Hurdle for his new employer, trainer Joseph O’Brien.

The six-year-old son of Cape Cross was a dual winner at this summer’s Galway Festival and made a winning return to hurdles here, arriving from off the pace to score a four-and-a-half-length win over Automatic, under a well-judged ride from Brown.

Afterwards, Brown stated: “That’s my first win over jumps but I rode a bumper winner for Alan King and had three flat winners for Richard Fahey.

“I’m 18, from Malton in North Yorkshire and I am with Joseph (O’Brien) for four months. I love it there and it’s the best job I’ve ever had. It is unreal there and he’s the nicest man in racing.”

Linger carries the colours of the Rugby & Racing Syndicate which is headed by retired Leicester and Munster rugby player Johne Murphy.

The other handicap hurdle on the card, the McCarthy Plant & Agri Sales-sponsored race, was won by the Gavin Cromwell trained Flooring Porter, under jockey Jonathan Moore. The four-year-old son of Yeats arrived from off the pace to lead before the last and ran out a comfortable two-and-three-quarterlength winner from Double Windsor, scoring as the 4/1 favourite.

THERE was drama aplenty in the concluding Matchbook Podcast (Pro-Am) Bumper as promising type The Little Yank (6/4 favourite) overcame trouble in-running before eventually winning for jockey Liam Quinlan and trainer John Ryan.

Quinlan found himself in a pocket behind the leaders turning for home in the two-mile, three-furlong race, and while he attempted to find racing room between horses with two furlongs to race, his passage was cut off by both Fortune Street, edging in from on the outer, and Four Country Roads, drifting from on the inner.

The stewards subsequently enquired and although they left the result stand and found Quinlan was not at fault for the interference.

They did find him in breach of Rule 272 (i) in that he had verbally or by conduct or behaviour, acted in a manner which is prejudicial to the integrity, proper conduct or good reputation of horse racing.

Having taken his clean record in this regard into account, they fined Quinlan €250.

The stewards later suspended both Kevin Brogan, rider of Fortune Street, and Conor McNamara, rider of Four Country Roads, finding both riders to be in breach of rule 214 (careless riding).