ELL OF A HAT-TRICK

APPLE’S JADE was slashed to 7-4 from 3’s by Coral for Cheltenham’s Mares’ Hurdle after completing a hat-trick of wins in the Hatton’s Grace Hurdle at Fairyhouse.

Sent off the 4-6 favourite under Jack Kennedy, Gordon Elliott’s star (left) strolled home 20 lengths clear of the Jessica Harringtontrained Supasundae.

Elliott (right) said: “You are always nervous when you’ve got something like her running, and when she jumped the last it was a big relief. Horses like her are what the public want to see and I’m lucky enough to be training her.“

Her win made up in part for the comprehensive defeat suffered by Elliott’s Samcro at the hands of Champion Hurdler Buveur D’Air in Newcastle’s Fighting Fifth Hurdle on Saturday.

But Michael O’Leary — owner of both Apple’s Jade and Samcro — yesterday confirmed the latter would still go for the Champion in March. ■ ARKLE fancy Kalashnikov makes his second appearance over fences at Plumpton today as connections eye a £60,000 bonus. The Supreme Novices’ Hurdle runner-up won on his chasing debut at Warwick last month and faces just five rivals in the Sky Sports Racing Novices’ Chase. Plumpton are offering the bonus to any horse who wins at the track and at the Cheltenham Festival in March.