Navan joy for treble star Elliott
GORDON Elliott is always a force at Navan and posted a fine treble with Diamond Cauchois, Blow By Blow and Rapid Escape.
Elliott has Leopardstown’s Pertemps Qualifier in mind for Diamond Cauchois following his smooth success in the Tara Handicap Hurdle.
Backed into 6/4 favourite, the Davy Russellridden six-year-old - having only his second run for the stable - toyed with the opposition and coasted home an eight lengths winner from Fine Rightly.
Sent off at 1/3, Blow By Blow had to dig deep for Jack Kennedy to master As You Were in the longdistance maiden hurdle and is seen as a three-mile chaser for next season by his trainer.
And, having withdrawn Felix Desjy, Elliott won the bumper with 2/5 shot
Rapid Escape which made all under Lisa O’neill to complete a hat-trick. He might now head for the €75,000 Grade 2 bumper at Leopardstown in February.
But, arguably the story of the day came at Thurles where Killahara Castle, 200/1 outsider of the five runners, caused a huge shock for the Burke family in the listed Boreen Belle Mares Novice Hurdle.
Ridden by Martin Burke, the 87-rated, a 20-race maiden came from last to first to master the Mullins-trained odds-on favourite True Self.
apprentice Oisin Orr was handed a 14-day ban for ‘dangerous riding’ in Dundalk on Friday night following an incident in the finale in which Long Journey Home (Killian Hennessy) clipped heels and fell.