Elliott’s delight after dominant performance at Punchestown

GORDON ELLIOTT dominated proceedings on a high-class card at Punchestown, winning six of the eight races. The Cullentra maestro got the afternoon off to a flyer as the high-class Pallasator won the John Shortt Legends Challenge Race in the hands of Norman Williamson. Smart bumper performer Samcro justified 1-5 favouritism on his hurdling debut and Ben Dundee (13-8 favourite) obliged in the Punchestown November Festival Handicap Hurdle, before Grade One-winning hurdler Death Duty (4-9 favourite) brought up the four-timer when winning for second time over fences in the Buck House Novice Chase. Elliott rounded off the day by winning the concluding two races with King’s Song (3-1 favourite) and Felix Desjy (11-8 favourite). He said: ‘It’s a great day. Any day you have one winner is great so to have that many winners, I can’t believe it. ‘We were having breakfast this morning and Simon (McGonagle) my head man, Mouse (O’Ryan) and Tom Howley said they were doing a Lucky 63. ‘Four of us did it. It only cost 63 quid and we all got a few quid out of it.’ Death Duty is favourite with some bookmakers for the RSA Chase at the Cheltenham Festival following his impressive Grade Three success in the hands of Davy Russell. Samcro was even more dominant in the Buy Your 2018 Annual Badge Maiden Hurdle, maintaining his unbeaten record with a 15-length verdict under Jack Kennedy. He is a best priced 7-1 favourite for the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham next March. Death Duty, Samcro and Felix Desjy were among four winners on the card for Gigginstown House Stud, with Noel Meade’s Cheltenham Festival hero Road To Respect making a successful reappearance in the feature Irish Daily Star Chase. The six-year-old won the Brown Advisory & Merriebelle Stable Plate at Prestbury Park in March before claiming the scalp of Yorkhill in the Ryanair Gold Cup at Fairyhouse The 7-2 chance responded to Sean Flanagan’s urgings to get up and beat the game front-runner Kilcarry Bridge by a length and a half.