Oscars Brother won the Grade Two Boodles Florida Pearl Novice Chase for Connor and Daniel King, beating Koktail Divin, a horse from one of Ireland’s biggest stables
A trainer with just two horses celebrated a huge win with his jockey brother when Oscars Brother stayed on best in the Boodles Florida Pearl Novice Chase at Punchestown.
The Grade Two contest had horses in the line-up from two of the biggest stables in Ireland, Gordon Elliott and Henry de Bromhead, plus 2025 Stayers’ Hurdle fourth Rocky’s Diamond.
But handler Connor King beat them all with Oscars Brother, after his sibling and jockey Daniel guided the seven-year-old around the County Kildare circuit.
Always front rank, some tidy leaps helped as the 7-4 favourite came home strongly to finish three lengths ahead of De Bromhead’s Koktail Divin.
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Oscars Brother had warmed up for the three mile race on soft to heavy ground in a novice chase at Galway.
And now the pair hope they can have a Grade One horse on their hands at their yard which has just one other thoroughbred in training.
“It’s class,” Daniel told Racing TV, when asked what it was like riding a good winner for his brother.
“He’s a lovely horse to have for my brother to train and me to ride. It was a small field but a tidy race. Our lad is improving, we thought if he stepped forward he would have a chance.
“This was his target, he showed a good attitude. I’ll leave (the next race) up to the trainer!”
Connor, an ex-jockey, said the Grade One Faugheen Novices’ Chase at Limerick over the Christmas period could come into the equation.
“He did well over hurdles and we always hoped he’d be a better chaser,” he said.
“I remember there were only three runners in this last year and thinking it would be a nice race to aim for.”
