GORD’S PARTY TEA
Elliott bags Stayers crown
TEAHUPOO was worth the wait for Gordon Elliott and Jack Kennedy in the Paddy Power Stayers Hurdle.
Their 5-4 favourite ended a run of 22 Festival losers for his trainer, at a meeting rival Willie Mullins dominated for the first two days.
Kennedy had missed the entirety of last year’s four-day highlight as he lost his battle to recover from a fifth broken leg.
But his injury woes were a distant memory when Teahupoo sent the crowd wild racing clear of the pack.
“I’m nearly in tears,” said Elliott, who lost one of his best chances when rain washed away Delta Work’s cross country hat-trick bid.
“The horses have been running well but it’s so hard to get a winner – we’ve hit the crossbar all week.
“It was a long way up that home straight. This has been the plan all year.”
Reverting to hurdles, Flooring Porter put up a real fight for a third title, but had to settle for second, with first-time blinkers reinvigorating third-placed Home By The Lee
“It’s brilliant to get off the mark,” said Kennedy, 24, fractionally ahead of Paul Townend in the Irish title race. Teahupoo is an amazing horse, he makes my job very easy.”
After a sixth run in the feature contest he won back in 2019, Paisley Park was promptly retired by connections.
The 12-year-old, pipped in close finishes three times this season, had no more to give against younger rivals. A four-time Grade One scorer, Emma Lavelle’s star earned more than £700,000 in a career that spanned eight years.
The horse of a lifetime for owner Andrew Gemmell, who has been blind since birth, received applause from the crowd on a lap of honour.
“I have so much pride in Paisley,” said Lavelle. “He ran a lovely race again today but the turbo is no longer working in the way that it used to.”