DANE O'NEILL showed his elders the way home to secure the £50,000-added William Hill Lincoln on 33 to 1 shot Stone Ridge at Doncaster on Saturday. In muddy conditions, the Cork-born 5th claimer rode an impeccable race, producing his mount with a perfectly-timed challenge at the furlong pole.
Stone Ridge stayed on well to score by one and a quarter lengths from the brave Roving Minstrel who was bidding to become the first to win back-to-back Lincolns since Babur (1957-58). It was six lengths back to Barbaroja in third with Shinerolla fourth.
"Dane deserves plenty of credit for this and I'm glad he didn't ride out his 5lb claim last season. Maybe he can win another big one before it goes," said former champion trainer Richard Hannon.
O'Neill, 20, in his fifth year with Hannon, was reaping the benefit of a three-month working holiday in California this winter.
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