Riaan seals 360/1 double win for Gordon Elliott in Sligo
Riaan & Danny Gilligan win the Solar Generation Steeplechase. Pic: HEALY RACING.
Riaan turned over Galway Plate runner-up and odds-on favourite Jesse Evans in the Solar Generation Chase, second leg of a 360/1 double for Gordon Elliott in Sligo.
The eight-year-old challenged between the favourite and Fascile Mode turning for home, and stayed on dourly from the last to triumph by three and three-quarter lengths.
Riaan was partnered by Danny Gilligan, shop said, “It’s great to get his head back in front. We didn’t go a crazy gallop, and I just followed them around. He picked up well going to the last and won well, although he wasn’t doing a whole lot in front. I suppose the race worked out perfectly."
The Elliott double had been sparked when another 18/1 shot Stretchemout, ridden by Jack Kennedy, made her breakthrough in the Gracie’s Bar Beginners Chase.
And Danny Gilligan went on to complete a double when, seen at his strongest on-board Yvonne Dunleavy’s Ballagh Star, who toughed it out well to hold off Tennessee Boy and He Fitz In in the Brenda Anderson Memorial Handicap Chase.
Ridden positively by Paul Townend, Jalila MO rivière made a good start to her chasing career when justifying 30/100 favouritism, with the minimum of fuss, in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares Beginners Chase.
Trained for J P McManus by Willie Mullins, she drew clear from the third last fence to slam True Testimony by twenty-four lengths, prompting Townend to comment: “She likes to go forward and worked her jumping out herself. She was very good over the last three. I’d say fences have made her a faster filly.”
The Gavin Cromwell-trained Andriole (2/1 favourite) opened his chasing account in the Christy ‘Frosty’ Callaghan Memorial Beginners Chase but was probably a fortunate winner as front-runner Telecon still held a narrow lead when crashing at the final fence, leaving Keith Donoghue’s mount to score by a length and three-quarters from Blaze The Way.
“It rode like a good race,” said Donoghue, “Our horse had the form in the boo and got the job done, although he got a bit of luck when Philip’s horse fell at the last.”
The most valuable prize on offer, for the Eddie McAllister Memorial Novice Handicap Chase, went to the Darren Collins-trained mare Seafirst, who opened her fencing account when wearing down front-running favourite Clon shire River.
“Darren told me that she jumps and travels but isn’t the strongest of stayers,” said winning rider Gavin Brouder.
“It suited her around here. She got a super jump at the last, landed running and kept quickening to the line.”
And, having his second start over fences, Liam Cusack’s 5/2 favourite The Striker Dylan (Brian Hayes) delivered in the Frank O’Beirne Memorial Handicap Chase, foiling Due Course and Moonshine Girl, Cusack commenting: “He’s bumped into a few improvers along the way and had a lovely first run over fences in Wexford. He has jumped fences well since we started schooling him and appreciates nice ground.”
On the first day of Bellewstown’s October meeting, Joey Sheridan brought his seasonal tally to 31 when delivering a double for owner James McAuley and trainer Denis Hogan on board Just Jump in the claimer and top-weight Nezeeh, a narrow winner, in a blanket-finish, to the WTW Willis Handicap.
Sharing the training honours was local handler Mick Mulvany who struck with Ribee (Wesley Joyce), a runaway winner of the Johnny Kierans Memorial Handicap en route to Killarney on Monday, and stable stalwart Duke Of Leggagh (Terry Casey) in the Barney Curley Apprentice Series Final.
