Jack Kennedy rides Moratorimum to win

JACK Kennedy kept up the good work at Thurles on Thursday where he partnered the Gordon Elliott-trained Moratorium to a narrow success in the rated novice hurdle.

No one has ridden more Irish winners since the beginning of December than the Dingle man who brought his tally in that time frame to 22 winners with a battling success on the 11/2 chance which just held off the renewed effort of the Joseph O’Brien-trained Petit Tartare by a neck.

It got better again at Naas on Saturday afternoon where he again teamed up with Elliott for a single winner, with Roaring Bull recording a 14-length victory in the 2m4f handicap chase. Success could hardly have come any easier for the 7/1 chance which gave Kennedy an early scare with a mistake at the opening fence but hardly put a foot wrong afterwards.

Bryan Cooper and Tom Taaffe took the Richard Maher Memorial Rated Novice Chase with Riders On The Storm at Punchestown on Sunday. Clear before the second last fence, the 2/1 shot had to be ridden out by Cooper to hold off the late rally of the Jessica Harrington-trained Impact Factor.

Owned by Paul Shanahan and John Magnier, the winner is heading to Cheltenham with the JLT Novices’ Chase among his Festival options.