Teahupoo holds out to win Grade One Grace Hurdle at Fairyhouse

WINNER: Teahupoo and Jack Kennedy win for trainer Gordon Elliott and groom Erica Peciulyte. Picture: Healy Racing

Teahupoo is three times a Grade One Bar 1 Racing Hatton’s Grace Hurdle winner, but the winning post came just in time for the gelding to complete his hat-trick and a four-timer on the day for Gordon Elliott and Jack Kennedy.

Perfectly positioned throughout as stablemate Casheldale Lad made the pace, he traded short from an early stage as chief market rival Ballyburn, who was returning to hurdling after a season chasing, all but ate grass for much of the trip, making life difficult for his rider.

The leader is a doughty sort and it took Teahupoo time to take his measure. He had just done that when his stablemate departed at the last, and forced an unseat from Mystical Power. While all of this this was happening, Ballyburn was making stealthy progress down the centre of the track and, in a pulsating finish, Teahupoo held on the minimum margin.

“A year ago today, I couldn’t even bear to watch the racing, so a day like this is brilliant,” said Kennedy. “This horse is a legend … unbelievable. The ground was borderline not going to be soft enough for him today, but he was very tough. He’s been an unbelievable horse for my career.

“I was happy enough throughout: we were going a nice gallop and I was jumping well. He never missed a beat the whole way, but probably got under the last a little bit and lost a small bit of momentum.

“I had the measure of Casheldale Lad and I could feel something coming behind me on my outside going down to the last and, like I said, I probably lost some momentum at the last, but as soon as I landed at the back of it, I knew who it was. Thankfully, my horse was very tough from the back of the last to the line.” 

Elliott, as is his wont, was not getting carried away, but delighted nonetheless.

“He’s not a two-and-a-half-mile horse, he’s a three-mile horse: he’s slow, he’s not getting any younger, but he’s got a heart like a lion, and we said we’d take our chance here.

“We wouldn’t have wanted another day’s drying because Jack said he was at the pin of his collar to go with them, even in that race.” 

Reflecting on yet another great weekend for the team at one of his local tracks, he added: “I’m getting the bounce of the ball at the moment, but on another day it will be someone else. As you know, I’ve had plenty of days where I haven’t been getting the bounce.” 

Elliott and Kennedy got up and running for the day when Mange Tout extended the perfect start to his career with victory in the Grade Three Juvenile Hurdle. A fourth win in the race since 2017 for Elliott, the Robcour gelding travelled smoothly to challenge shortly after turning for home, and took full advantage when market rival Narciso Has fluffed his lines at the final flight.

Elliott and another local trainer, Noel Meade, battled out the finish to the Grade Two Bar 1 Betting Royal Bond Novice Hurdle, and the former shaded the verdict with Koktail Brut to claim a fifth win in the race since 2017.

The winner and Meade’s Blake were first and second throughout and despite going quite a good pace, they were able to keep the others at bay. Blake put his nose in front after the last but Gigginstown’s runner, Koktail Brut, battled back to win by a narrow margin.

Said winning rider Jack Kennedy: “He did way too much with me the whole way around. Donagh (Meyler, Blake) was able to force me along, to make my lad do a bit too much but, to be fair to him, he was very tough up the straight.

“He met the last lovely but, for whatever reason, he spent a bit of time in the air, but he was good and tough from the back of it. I think I got headed at one stage, but I was confident I got back up.” 

There was only one top-drawer performer in the Grade One Bar 1 Betting Drinmore Novice Chase and, unsurprisingly, he proved utterly different class to his rivals.

Bringing up the third leg of four for Elliott and Kennedy, he travelled well within his comfort zone from the outset, jumped perfectly well throughout, and put the race to bed without being asked any sort of a question.

For connections this was precisely the type of performance they would have wished for from the Grade One-winning hurdler, who also finished runner-up in the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham.

“That was brilliant, “ said Elliott. “We always knew chasing was going to be his game and we’re absolutely thrilled with him.

“The one thing Jack did say is that, with the way he jumps, he wouldn’t be afraid to bring him back to two miles off a real fast pace. No decision that needs to be made today – we’re going to enjoy it and see what happens.” 

Looking much further down the line, he added: “I’ll never forget when the owners came to me at the start, the one thing they said was that they’d love to have a Champion Chase horse. Whether he’s quick enough for that, I don’t know, but we’ll dream in every direction and see what happens.” 

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Robert Tyner’s team continues in top form and Better Times Ahead showed stamina in abundance in gaining a narrow victory in the Porterstown, over three and three-quarter miles.

Given an ultra-patient ride by Mark Walsh, the eight-year-old still had plenty to do turning for home, but, much as he did when winning over hurdles on his return to action, he found plenty in the closing stages. Picking off his rivals one by one, he battled on gamely to get the better of Will Do in a rousing finish.

“They went a proper gallop so I was hopeful those on the front end would come back to me, and luckily enough they did,” said Walsh. “This fellow stays all day. He won here over hurdles on his first run back this season, so he loves this place.” 

On a day that was almost exclusively about local trainers, Ian Donoghue, who had a winner here on Saturday, doubled up for the festival when Vaureal took the opener, the Bar 1 Betting Ladies’ Handicap Chase. Caragh Monaghan sent the 7-2 favourite to the front approaching the last and he stayed on strongly to beat long-time leader Casey West.

There may well have been another local winner in the Bar 1 Casino Handicap Hurdle but gambled-on leader Ataboycharlie stumbled at the back of the last and fell to the ground, leaving the Willie Mullins-trained and Paul Townend-ridden Zillow to take full advantage.

The finale was the Bar 1 Casino Bumper and the complexion of the race changed rapidly in the closing stages. Moonverrin took the measure of favourite Grangeclare Park in the straight and went clear on what looked like a winning run. However, Anna McGuinness, riding for Mags Mullins, got a great tune out of Young Rebel and he ran down the leader close home to make a winning start to his career.