MICHAEL O’Sullivan has made a big impression since turning professional in the past month and recorded his second double in the space of three days when successful on the Barry Connell-owned and trained pair Enniskerry and Low Style.

O’Sullivan, who enjoyed a big handicap success the previous Friday aboard Magnor Glory at Listowel, recorded his first graded win here as Enniskerry (5/2) took the Ballymore Group Irish EBF Kilbegnet Novice Chase in convincing fashion.

The lightly raced Jeremy gelding led early in the straight in this two-mile Grade 3 event and drew clear after the last to beat Midnight Run by nearly five lengths, with Sole Pretender a length and three-quarters further away in third.

“He’s very slick to jump. He got in tight to one down the back but other than that was dynamite,” said a delighted Connell. “He never won a bumper but chasing is his game and we were pretty confident coming here today.

“We might take in a Grade 3 at Cork next month but the Drinmore is definitely his target and he’ll have no bother staying two and a half miles on a flat track. It’s a good stiff finish there and he wasn’t stopping.

“The ideal thing would be to keep him going to Christmas and then give him a bit of a break in January and February and have him for the spring.

Next superstar

“It’s beautiful ground here, they have done some job on it,” added Connell who was full of praise for the rider saying: “Michael is the next superstar. He’s riding all mine and is in three days a week with me. He didn’t look like a 7lb claimer going around there!”

O’Sullivan (22) couldn’t use his claim in the feature while Low Style hardly needed it earlier when readily landing the Leo Dolan Memorial Handicap Hurdle.

The 8/1 chance, available at double those odds overnight and reappearing after a break of eight months, took control from before the last to beat Well Funded by a comfortable six and a half lengths.

Connell said: “He was a shell of a horse last year and ran in maidens at the good tracks. I thought (a rating of) 90 might be a bit hard for him on the basis of what he’d done but we left him out over the summer and he’s come back in a lot stronger.

“Hopefully he can go on from here. He won’t want bottomless winter ground and it was perfect for him today. We might step him up a little bit in trip.”

Cody claims

a first winner

PATRICK Cody was another young rider with good reason to remember the afternoon after partnering his first winner aboard the Kieran Purcell owned and trained Quaresome in the Roscommon On-Course Vets Flat Race.

The 28/1 newcomer was led up by his father Pat and led in the final 100 yards to beat Locorotondo by three-quarters of a length. Cody (17) said: “That’s my seventh ride and it’s great to get a winner. He can be keen at home but he travelled lovely the whole way around and kept going all the way up the straight. I’m finished school and ride out for Joseph O’Brien and also with Kieran a few days a week as well.”

Simon Torrens partnered his first winner for Noel Meade aboard second reserve Black Hawk Eagle in the opening Boyle Maiden Hurdle.

The 7/1 chance, owned by Philip Munnelly and Patrick Sexton, was about a length down on the front-running favourite Ages Of Man when that rival fell at the penultimate flight.

The Awtaad gelding, placed a number of times on the flat and making his debut over hurdles, kept on well on the run-in to beat Solitary Man by four and three-quarter lengths.

Torrens said: “I was pretty confident that I was going to get to JJ (Slevin, rider of Ages Of Man) but I suppose we’ll never know. He’d some good form on the flat and jumped well.”

Betty best for O’Gradys

BETTY Dutton, trained by Edward O’Grady for his son Jonathan, was prominent throughout in the Thomas A Murray Bar Roscommon Mares Maiden Hurdle and the well-backed 2/1 favourite was driven out on the run-in by Darragh O’Keeffe to beat She’s Tobias by a length and a half.

“We’re delighted and I’m sure my son will be very grateful for the five grand bonus that goes with it (Weatherbys Ireland/ITBA NH Fillies Bonus Scheme).

“I don’t know if she will do a lot more over the winter but she will be a lovely broodmare in the spring,” said O’Grady who also bred the four-year-old.

“I’m breeding to race as opposed to breeding to top the sale. Frozen Fire is a Derby winner but he wouldn’t be the hottest thing in town.”

Second victory

Lily Light Foot recorded her second victory this year when readily landing the Class Grass Handicap Hurdle.

Trained by the father and son team of Eddie and Patrick Harty, who completed an across-the-card double with Gegenpressing at Down Royal just 15 minutes later, the 15/2 shot asserted before two out for Sean Flanagan to beat top-weight and 2/1 favourite Hascoeur Clermont by an impressive seven lengths.

“She’s been very consistent all year and probably should have got the race in the north as well. It was a better class of race the last day and she needs the three miles,” said Eddie Harty before adding, “She’s not going to keep going in the winter and is owned by a lovely man, Bobby Guiry, who breeds so I wouldn’t blame him if she heads to the paddocks after two wins this year.”

The Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares Beginners Chase looked a good opportunity for Malina Girl and the 8/11 favourite, trained by Gavin Cromwell for the Pique Syndicate, took command from two out with Keith Donoghue sitting motionless on the run-in to beat Paidi’s Passion by a facile 14 lengths.