Ebor delight for Elliott as Dirar delivers

ONE of Ireland’s finest new talents ensured the totesport Ebor headed across the sea from York once again as Gordon Elliott’s Dirar followed on from Sesenta a year ago.

Elliott became the youngest trainer ever to win the Grand National with Silver Birch in 2007 and his frequent forays to the jump festivals at Perth have already become the stuff of legend, but success in just about the biggest Flat handicap of the season was breaking entirely new ground.

Dirar’s rise to the top has come via a most unconventional route as a little over a year ago he won three handicap hurdles in succession at Worcester, Uttoxeter and Southwell before progressing enough to finish third in the Galway Hurdle a few weeks before this.