Double joy for Elliott, treble for McManus at Punchestown
OUT IN FRONT: Yeshil and JJ Slevin, left, win the Connolly's RED MILLS Irish EBF Auction Maiden Hurdle from Vitorio Piel. Picture: Healy Racing
With stable-jockey Jack Kennedy suspended, Jordan Gainford and Danny Gilligan delivered a double, on Highland Crystal and Koktail Brut respectively, for Gordon Elliott in Punchestown.
The Gigginstown-owned Koktail Brut usurped Colcannon as favourite for the Matchbook Maiden Hurdle and duly brushed aside Noel Meade’s charge with a solid, front-running performance.
The Cullentra gelding jumped more fluently than his market rival and nearest pursuer and had the race in safe-keeping before the final flight before scoring by nine lengths.
“He’s a horse we’ve always really liked,” said Elliott’s representative Lisa O’Neill. “He was a lovely horse last year, even if he disappointed a bit towards the end of the season.
“He was impressive today and Jordan said he took a good blow at the back of the last, so he should improve plenty. He’s very straight-forward and is ready to step into graded company now.”
Gainford registered a personal double, guiding 100-30 shot Highland Crystal, trained for Robcour by Elliott, to a 14-length win over Ritz Plan in the Irish Stallion farms EBF Fillies Academy Hurdle.
O’Neill said: “She has plenty done and we knew she was forward, but it was a nice surprise to see how well she did it — she was very impressive. And Jordan thinks there’s plenty more to come.”
Gainford completed his double when 40-1 shot Sopelana, beaten twice since scoring over flights in Ballinrobe, proved a shock winner of the Matchbook Betting Podcast 3-Y-0 Hurdle, outpointing I’ll Be Handy and favourite Mode Avion.
“That was a good performance — she loves that heavy ground,” trainer Cian Collins said.
“She disappointed in the north, when they went a strong gallop. It’s great win two hurdles with her as she’s very lowly-rated on the Flat. She has great owners and we might try to find a black-type race for her, in heavy ground, in England.”
Another good result for County Wexford came in the Matchbook Rated Novice Chase as top-weight Luminous Light, ridden by Sean Flanagan for Anthony McCann, triumphed in the colours of the New Ross-based Good Counsellors Syndicate.
Owner JP McManus recorded a handicap treble with A Great Buzz, Powerful, and It’s Never Simple.
From the in-form yard of Robert Tyner, A Great Buzz overcame some sloppy jumping before swooping late under Mark Walsh to deny front-running James The Brave in the Matchbook Betting Exchange Handicap Chase prompting the owner’s representative Frank Berry to comment: “She’s as slow as a boat and those ground conditions were made for her.”
The Jessica Harrington-trained 10-11 favourite Powerful (Simon Torrens) pipped Zuzukel by a short-head in the Thank You David Betts Photography Handicap Hurdle, prompting Kate Harrington to explain: “He’s still a big baby, a work in progress, and we’ll take baby steps with him. He’d probably prefer better ground.”
And It’s Never Simple, trained by Martin Brassil and ridden by Ricky Doyle, romped to a seven-length win in the concluding 0-100 handicap hurdle.
“It’s been a while between drinks with him, but he loved the ground and will tip away in both codes,” said Berry.
Henry de Bromhead was a happy man after odds-on favourite Yeshil made all under JJ Slevin to beat Vitorio Piel in the Connolly’s RED MILLS Irish RBF Auction Maiden Hurdle before surviving a stewards’ inquiry.
“I’m delighted with him and delighted to get it for the double-green. He had a lovely run here in the Goffs Defender Bumper and has developed and matured with time. Two and a half miles suits him and he should stay further.”
- In a bizarre case of ‘mistaken identity’, Enda Bolger ran a wrong horse in the Matchbook Rated Novice Chase.
Centreofattention (scheduled to run in the later Matchbook Maiden Hurdle), inadvertently, ran in place of Dont Tell Jack, a mistake which escaped the attentions of the IHRB scanning system.
The error was noticed when Don’t Tell Jack was being prepared for the later maiden hurdle.
The matter was referred to the stewards of the IHRB for further investigation.
