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.