THE apprentice Daragh O'Donohoe rode his first winner in Britain on his first mount for his new boss Ed Dunlop when landing the City Industrial Supplies Condition Stakes on Monaassib at Kempton yesterday. Monaassib beat the three year old Oh Nelly by three quarters of a length.
The 24 year old Dubliner had spent eight years with Dermot Weld, and among his 57 winners were consecutive Irish November Handicaps with Cliveden Gale and Treble Bob.
He also rode Weld's 1996 Irish Derby winner Zagreb and spent three months riding exercise for the Godolphin operation in Dubai before joining Dunlop six weeks' ago.
O'Donohoe said: "Opportunities were getting smaller in Ireland and I thought I'd give it a go here. Mr Weld helped me look for a job and Mr Dunlop was looking for an apprentice."
The successful Lincoln combination of Paul Cole and Richard Quinn landed their second competitive contest of the campaign when Romios wore down Secret Aly in the dying strides to land the Coral Rosebery Handicap by a neck.
Romios has had his courage called into question on occasions and was landing only his fourth success from 25 starts.
Cole's biggest 2,000 Guineas candidate Putra, winner of Goodwood's Richmond Stakes last season, reappears at Kempton today in a morning workout.
Cole is contemplating bypassing the Craven Stakes with the colt and going into the Classic without a preparatory run. "It will be just a sensible piece of work, he said.
