GRAND PRIZE GIVES ELLIOTT AN EDGE
AdRaMaTiC victory for General Principle secured a first win in the BoyleSports irish Grand national at Fairyhouse for Gordon elliott.
and the success could ultimately secure the trainer his first irish jump trainers’ championship.
in a 3m 5f marathon run on heavy ground, elliott’s rival Willie Mullins, whose 13-2 favourite Pairofbrowneyes was an early faller, twice looked to have the race won.
But first Mullins-trained front-runner Bellshill veered violently left and almost refused after leading into the final fence under jockey david Mullins.
Then danny Mullins-ridden isleofhopendreams, who had been left in the lead, was cut down in the final strides and beaten a head by the JJ Slevin-ridden 20-1 shot. The € 270,000 first prize helps elliott extend his lead in the irish championship to more than €500,000.
The season ends on april 28, the last day of the Punchestown Festival.
elliott’s fast-finishing Folsom Blue, who suffered worst in the last- fence interference caused by Bellshill, was subsequently promoted to fourth ahead of that rival. amazingly given the conditions, only a length and three - quarters separated the first five home.
General Principle finished fifth in the 2017 irish national, but elliott, who saddled 13 of the 30 starters, admitted: ‘He wasn’t one of my leading horses, but JJ gave him a great ride. To be honest there were so many of them coming to the last, i didn’t know where to look.’
The irish national win was a massive swing on the day for elliott, who had seen Mullins win all three Grade Two Fairyhouse prizes courtesy of Coquin Mans, Getabird and Un de Sceaux.