Sundays in Meath so often belong to Gordon Elliott and he dominated at Fairyhouse on day two of the course’s Winter Festival with four winners, all ridden by Jack Kennedy who brought his Grade 1 tally to 50 in the process. The undoubted highlight was the success of KTDA Syndicate-owned Romeo Coolio which landed the Grade 1 Bar 1 Racing Drinmore Novice Chase in brilliant fashion. An 8/15 favourite on the back of a debut win over fences at Down Royal, the six-year-old led at the second-last fence and drew away to win by an easy eight lengths from Willie Mullins’ 100/30 chance Gold Dancer. Elliott and Kennedy again had the measure of Mullins, but only just this time, as Teahupoo landed a third success in the Grade 1 Bar 1 Racing Hatton’s Grace Hurdle. In a tight finish, the Robcour-owned even money favourite held the late surge of 13/8 chance Ballyburn by a nose to win, the pair all of 40 lengths clear of another Elliott runner, the 28/1 shot Maxxum, in third place. A head was the winning margin as the 8/13 favourite Koktail Brut landed the Grade 2 Bar 1 Betting Royal Bond Novice Hurdle to give the trainer and jockey their first victory of the afternoon. In the Gigginstown House Stud colours, he made most of the running and just denied Noel Meade’s 8/1 chance Blake in another thrilling finish. It was far easier for the three-year-old Mange Tout which won his second race in the Robcour colours with a taking display in the Grade 3 Bar 1 Betting Juvenile Hurdle. An 11/8 chance, he asserted from the final hurdle to beat Willie Mullins’ 5/4 favourite Narciso Has by two and three-parts of a length.
Elliott had saddled a couple of late winners to record a double on the opening day of the Fairyhouse Winter Festival on Saturday. Ridden by Jack Kennedy, his 4/5 favourite Skylight Hustle ran out a 21-length scorer in the two-mile maiden hurdle to give the trainer his first success of the day. The Robcour-owned five-year-old made all the running and eased clear between the final two hurdle to win in facile fashion. Elliott landed a 1-2-3 in the concluding bumper run in memory of his late uncle Willie Elliott. The 11/4 chance Keep Him Company and Josh Williamson battled well to beat the 100/30 shot Generous Risk and Josh Halford by three lengths with the Patrick Mullins-ridden 11/10 favourite Premier Division a length away in third place. Ian Donoghue and amateur rider Joey Dunne had earlier won the two and a half-mile mares’ handicap chase with the 7/1 chance True Testimony. Owned by Matthew Rogers, the six-year-old came from off the pace and led before the final fence, where she jumped left, before going on to win by a length and a quarter from the James Motherway-trained Uhavemeinstitches, another at odds of 7/1.
Jack Kennedy and Gordon Elliott had warmed up for the big weekend at Fairyhouse when winning the two and a half-mile maiden hurdle with the Gigginstown House Stud-owned Riskaway at Thurles on Thursday. A strong 5/6 favourite, the five-year-old led at the second last hurdle and was pushed out to win by an impressive 11 lengths from Joseph O'Brien’s 11/1 chance Zeus Power.
Upcoming Fixtures
Clonmel – Tuesday, December 2 (First race 12.05pm)
Dundalk – Wednesday, December 3 (First race 2.50pm)
Dundalk – Friday, December 5 (First race 5.30pm)
Navan – Saturday, December 6 (First race 11.30am)
Cork – Sunday, December 7 (First race 12 noon)
