THE ongoing championship battle between Donnacha O’Brien and Colin Keane continues to provide an engaging narrative to the last few weeks of the flat season and the former headed into last night’s Dundalk fixture with a lead of five over the 2017 champion after a treble that moved him on to the 101 mark for the season.

Donnacha O’Brien opened proceedings with a victory aboard Arthur’s Kingdom (11/10) in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden over a mile. The Aidan O’Brien-trained son of Camelot filled the runner-up spot on his first two outings and it looked as though he might have to settle for a minor role once again when Zoheyr skipped clear early in the straight.

However, Arthur’s Kingdom raised his game to cut down that rival for an ultimately cosy length and a half success.

“He had a good run the last day and was entitled to do that. He will stay a good bit further next year,” said the rider.

King Pellinor (11/4) moved O’Brien on the 100 mark by taking the mile and a half maiden on King Pellinor trained by his father. On his sixth outing, the Camelot colt was fitted with blinkers for the first time and he found this trip more suitable than the two miles he tackled at Thurles last week. King Pellinor had the measure of market rival Pienta over the last furlong and a half and he defeated that rival by a length and a half.

Treble

The treble was brought up by Pasley (7/4) who made it 500 winners for Joseph O’Brien as a trainer in the one-and-three-quarter-mile handicap. The Lloyd Williams-owned colt lost out to Bigger And Better on his handicap debut last month and was taking a significant step up in trip on much more testing ground, but he came through this test in game fashion.

He was under pressure some way out but he responded to nail the always prominent Liars Corner late on. Appropriately this victory for Joseph O’Brien came at a track where Justice Frederick gave him his first training success in June 2016.

“He’s still raw and he wouldn’t want the ground that bad so I’d say there’s more to come from him on a more galloping track and on better ground,” reflected the winning rider.

Keane gets another back

COLIN Keane was also on the mark courtesy of Lemista (4/1) who built on two decent efforts in smart contests to land the median auction fillies’ maiden over mile. A €16,000 foal purchase, this daughter of Raven’s Pass was pressed by the odds-on Gin Blossom entering the last quarter of a mile but was much too strong for that one in the closing stages and pulled away to prevail by four and a quarter lengths. Ger Lyons trains this filly for his wife Lynne, Sean Jones and David Spratt.

“She’s one of three horses that we bought as foals and they’ve all won. She’d like better ground but she handled it today and Colin feels that she’ll be a stakes filly over a mile or a mile and a quarter next year,” stated Shane Lyons.

Soft ground the secret Again for Tylicki

MADELEINE Tylicki’s We’ll Go Again (7/1) is finishing off his season in style and he followed up a win at Cork earlier in the month in the 45-70 rated three-year-old mile handicap. The soft ground-loving son of Fast Company had just a 4lb rise to contend with for his latest triumph and he shaped like a horse who could win again before the end of the season.

Billy Lee took over in front early in the straight on the Andrew Roe-owned gelding and the pair got to the line one and three-quarter lengths ahead of the staying-on Guinevere.

“Mentally and physically he was a bit immature but he’s getting it together and he got plenty of confidence from Cork. He might well run again before the end of the season,” stated the trainer.

Also ending his season with a flourish is Andy Oliver’s Simply True (9/2) who took the seven-furlong nursery to notch up his second victory in this sphere.

The Ronan Whelan-ridden son of Camacho came under strong pressure turning for home but he kept pulling out more and got on top to see off Sasta by half a length. Simply True carries the colours of J. P. Ledwidge.

Scorpion strikes

Derek McCormack rode his first winner since November 2015 as Scorpion Black (11/1) shrugged off the burden of top weight in the first division of the 45-65 rated handicap over seven furlongs.

Dermot Weld’s charge, who is owned by Dominick Glennane, Seamus O’Brien and Bridget Dillon, defeated Summer’s Dream by a neck. This was the four-year-old’s second win of the year at Gowran Park.

McCormack was given a two-day whip ban for his efforts.

The second division of the 45-65 handicap, which was confined to riders who hadn’t ridden more than 10 winners since the start of the season, went to Gavin Cromwell’s Sayesse.

This five-year-old was a six-time winner in Britain and was making his second appearance in Ireland having struggling to make any impact at Fairyhouse last month.

However, first-time blinkers and Conor Maxwell worked the oracle on the Paul Drinkwater-owned 12/1 shot who is due to turn out at Wolverhampton today.