By Dan Walsh
Day two of the Cheltenham racing festival and winners today for two Wexford jockeys, Sean Flanagan and Sean O’Keeffe.
Sean Flanagan, 36, from Palace East, Clonroche, won today’s feature race – the Queen Mother Champion Chase – on Marine Nationale for Barry Connell to record his second festival winner.
Flanagan rode his first winner at the Cheltenham Festival when partnering the Noel Meade-trained 80/1 chance Jeff Kidder to success in the Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle in 2021.
Flanagan has had three placings so far. He finished second on William Munny in yesterday’s Supreme Novices’ Hurdle. Today he finished third on Vaniller despite nearly going the wrong way in the Cross Country Chase and was also placed third in the Grand Annual Chase.
Sean O’Keeffe, 26, from Harveystown, Taghmon, also enjoyed festival success today when partnering Lecky Watson to a four lengths success for Willie Mullins in the Grade 1 Novices Chase.
O’Keeffe rode his first winner at the Cheltenham Festival when partnering the Willie Mullins-trained Galopin Des Champs (yes, going for his third victory in the Cheltenham Gold Cup on Friday!) to win the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle in 2021. He also rode a winner for Mullins at the 2022 festival when landing the Grade 1 Albert Bartlett Novices´ Hurdle on The Nice Guy.
Conor Stone-Walsh, 18, from Cleariestown, who is having a very successful season finished runner-up, beaten six lengths, on Robbies Rock for Gavin Cromwell in Tuesday’s Juvenile Handicap Hurdle.
Two more days of the Cheltenham Festival to go, and plenty of Wexford participation in readiness, and who knows, perhaps, more success may be on the cards.
WexfordLocal.com 