Taglietelle stays on strongly to land spoils

Apparently struggling before the third last and under pressure after the next, Taglietelle came through strongly to collar front-running, odds-on favourite Orgilgo Bay at the final flight in the Follow Us On Twitter And Facebook Rated Hurdle, before forging clear to slam Art Of Payroll by five and a half lengths at Punchestown yesterday.

“He looked beaten from the fourth last today, but kept going,” said winning trainer Gordon Elliott. “I wanted to go to Cheltenham with him at the weekend, but his owner wanted to come here, so he was right again. He could be a horse for the Greatwood (in Cheltenham), with a pair of blinkers — they’d help him travel and a strongly-run race would help him.”

Un Beau Matin, ridden by Kevin Sexton, completed Elliott’s treble in the Panoramic Restaurant Beginners Chase (Lord Scoundrel, who gave Bryan Cooper his first winner since his comeback, was the other) overcoming a couple of mistakes before wearing down front-running Sizing Solution on the run-in.