Dramatic conclusions at Down Royal

TRAINER, Gordon Elliott landed the featured three-mile hurdle at Down Royal last Friday night, with ‘Salvador Ziggy’ and stable jockey Jack Kennedy aboard, in another dramatic conclusion to the race on the night. Davy Russell on Elliott’s other runner ‘Duffle Coat’ attempted to make all, setting an early steady pace before the quintet of runners quickened from four out. The winner led at the penultimate flight, where JJ Slevin on ‘Home By The Lee’ attempted a run up the inside of ‘Duffle Coat’, but lacked room, crashing through the wing. After the last, the winner then had to repel the late strong challenge of ‘Off You Go’ to prevail by a short head.

The opening juvenile hurdle also went the way of the well supported Elliott trained ‘The Insider’ (3s to 6/4 favourite) with Davy Russell doing the steering. ‘Surac’ attempted to make all and avoided a loose horse, but was always closely attended by the winner, which despite some indifferent jumping, led two from home and quickly asserted.

Gordon Elliott said: “It was a messy race (two fell at the first), but he got the run of the race and it worked out well. He’s a horse that is keen enough at home, but look he’s now two from two over hurdles and I think he is well handicapped on the Flat. He’s a nice fun horse and he will definitely win again on the Flat. I’d imagine he would head to the Flat now. I wouldn’t be sure if he would be good enough to win one of those Graded races. I’d say that could be his level.”

The market principals were the first pair home in the mares maiden hurdle, with the Adrian Murray trained ‘Scenic Look’, partnered by Denis O’Regan, readily beating ‘Come On Du Berlais’. The winner went to the front four out and was always travelling the better of the duo and the runner up’s challenge proved a weak effort.

Murray said: “We gave her a break after Galway and freshened her up and I was hoping that would bring her forward, which it did. I was expecting her to win, but I wasn’t expecting her to win as comfortably. She might come back here in a fortnight for the handicap over two miles on the Flat.”

Jockey Bryan Cooper excelled when struggling ‘One Cool Poet’ (7s out to 12/1) into the race to claim the handicap hurdle in facile fashion. The Matthew Smith trained horse had not won since 2019 – the year he won three times at the Galway Festival – and was scoring over hurdles for the first time. Cooper was ultra-patient and, despite full of running downhill prior to the penultimate flight, waited until leading at the last before easily extending to beat ‘Doyenna’, which had led from four out. Favourite ‘Listentilliyou’ (7s to 18/5) had every chance and stayed on to fill third. Cooper said: “I knew going to the start he was in great form – he was like a bull. He jumped like a stag and loves to pass horses.”

The Walkers Hurdle had another dramatic conclusion and the winner ‘Champella’ (5s to 100/30), with Tom Harney aboard, proved if nothing resolute in victory. The Ross O’Sullivan trained horse, which won his bumper at the track, having always been handy was third on the downhill run as ‘Evenwood Sonofagun’ led and ‘Finnthemagican’ was under pressure, but at the final flight the leading pair hung right with the last named colliding with the leader and falling, while the winner seized the opportunity, quickening well to score easily at the finish.

Harney said: “I could see the lads running around at the back of the second-last. I saw it happening and they were drifting out wide, and I said I would switch back to the inside. It just worked out grand. It looked like I would have been second, but I think it would have been a lot closer than it looked. I was only getting going at the finish and she would have stayed three miles I’d say. I was (coming here pretty confident), I had done all her schooling at home. To be fair, James Reilly rides her at home and does a great job with her.”

A sextet of runners held chances two from home in the three mile handicap hurdle, but after the last it was a three-way tussle with the winner ‘Dicebox’, trained by Shark Hanlon and Jordan Gainford in the saddle, denying ‘Lily Light Foot’ by a neck, with ‘Important Message’ having looked a major threat, one paced close to home filling third. The runner up sustained a major bump from the winner and it was no surprise a stewards’ enquiry was called.

A major gamble was landed in the finale, when ‘Boujee’, with champion rider Derek O’Connor booked for trainer Mark Molloy’s mare on her debut, was supported from 20s to 13/2 and cut through the field in the closing stages to catch the front running ‘Cash The Cheque’ and score by a short head.

Molloy said: “More than tough, she’s just a baby. We haven’t been anywhere and she hasn’t had a chance to be on grass. She just was doing everything nicely at home. She’s always had an engine. I just said ‘God, am I being unfair bringing her here?’ She hasn’t been away from my farm. I would hope she could be very smart. A special rider – it is a privilege to have him (Derek O’Connor) sitting on a horse. The horse didn’t know she had a race until the last while and he still looked after her.”