Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
A HIGH FIVE
Elliott’s great double follows Fairyhouse treble
GORDON ELLIOTT crowned a good weekend for himself and Gigginstown House Stud with a Sunday double at Punchestown, highlighted by the all-the-way success of well-backed Felix Desjy in the Grade 2 Sky Bet Moscow Flyer Novice Hurdle. Elliott, who provided his chief patrons with a treble at Fairyhouse on Saturday, including the success of Duca De Thaix in the €100,000 Dan Moore Memorial Handicap Chase, triumphed yesterday with Felix Desjy and exciting prospect Vision D’honneur which, ironically, might clash next time in the Grade 1 Chanelle Pharma Novices Hurdle at Leopardstown in three weeks.
A change of tactics has sparked a new lease of life for Felix Desjy, jumping with great enthusiasm, to give Elliott a first win in the Moscow Flyer, readily keeping Jetez at bay and providing Sean Flanagan with a big-race success on a welcome spare ride, after Davy Russell was stood down, sore and shaken after a fall from Ange D’OR Javilex.
“He disappointed us a few times over hurdles, but we were riding him the wrong way,” admitted Elliott. “The way to ride him is let him stride and use his jumping. He was very slick today and won well.”
Vision D’honneur readily brushed aside the challenge of Elixir D’ainay in the sportinglife.com Maiden Hurdle.
“We think a lot of him – he’s a very smart horse,” said Elliott. “He didn’t do anything wrong in Leopardstown, only got beaten. He was green and jumped big that day, but he was a different horse today. He’ll go to Leopardstown too and he’ll step-up in trip in time, as he’s so relaxed.”
The Aidan Howard-trained Winter Escape patiently ridden by Mark Walsh, produced an excellent effort in the Grade 3 novice chase, giving 14lb and a comprehensive beating to the favourite A Plus Tard.
Howard, who will consider running the J P Mcmanus-owned eight-yearold at the Dublin Racing Festival, said: “He’s a good horse, but I wasn’t expecting him to beat the favourite, giving him a stone. But he did it well and I’m very happy with him.”