The Storyteller landed the biggest success of his career when pipping Chris’s Dream in a thrilling renewal of the Ladbrokes Champion Chase at Down Royal on Saturday.
A finish worthy of a Grade 1 in the @Ladbrokes Champion Chase! The Storyteller gets up to deny Chris's Dream in the closing stages. A treble on the card for @gelliott_racing! @donoghue_keith the winning jockey. ?? pic.twitter.com/c100byPnWK
— Down Royal Racecourse (@Downroyal) October 31, 2020
Gordon Elliott’s nine-year-old has been in the form of his life through the autumn, but he has regularly come up short in Grade 1 company since winning at the highest level as a novice.
Dropped out at the rear by Keith Donoghue, The Storyteller came through to challenge Chris’s Dream between the last two fences and the two settled down to fight it out.
For most of the run to the line, Henry de Bromhead’s Chris’s Dream looked likely to hold on, but Donoghue was not to be denied aboard 9/2 shot The Storyteller, who prevailed by a neck.
Noel Meade’s Tout Est Permis stayed on for third past a weakening Presenting Percy.
Winning trainer Gordon Elliott had four other winners on the Down Royal card, namely Quilixios (1/16 fav), Ballyadam (4/6), Battleoverdoyen (9/2) and Sir Gerhard (2/5).
FIVE-TIMER
Battleoverdoyen returned to winning ways in the Lough Construction Ltd. Chase at Down Royal as he formed part of a Gordon Elliott five-timer.
? G1 winner over hurdles
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) October 31, 2020
? G1 winner over fences
? Winning return
Battleoverdoyen is very smart and bounces back to defeat Easy Game and Samcro on a fine afternoon for @gelliott_racing @Downroyal pic.twitter.com/LeyqOTvABt
Elliott’s seven-year-old looked sure to take high-rank among the novices last season having won a Grade 1 at Christmas.
But a fall in the Flogas Novice Chase and a well-beaten fourth at Cheltenham meant he had questions to answer on his return, especially up against stablemate Samcro and the odds-on favourite Easy Game.
However, Mark Walsh kept things simple and his mount never put a foot wrong, taking up the running in the straight to beat Easy Game by six lengths.
Elliott said: “He ran a great race and I’m delighted. He’s a good horse and I’d say we were going too far with him at the end of last year.
“I’d say two and half miles for him, something like the John Durkan, and Samcro could go there too.
“Samcro had a great race and Jack (Kennedy) said he would nearly have won if he didn’t make a mistake at the wrong time. It knocked the stuffing out of him. He did well to get back into it.”
Elliott, Kennedy and Cheveley Park Stud were all able to breath a sigh of relief following Envoi Allen’s faultless chasing debut on Friday and had two more nice prospects win earlier on the card.
NO MISTAKE
Ballyadam (4/6 favourite) cost over £300,000 at the sales, but odds-on punters had their fingers burned on his Rules debut last season.
???“He’ll step up into Graded company now, he’s very quick."
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) October 31, 2020
Ballyadam - rememeber the name ??
Watch and read all about the racing action @Downroyal today where @gelliott_racing unleashed more of his stable stars, and some stars of the future! ??
He made no mistake next time in a bumper, though, and cruised to a 12-length success in the Tayto Group Maiden Hurdle and bigger targets await.
Elliott said: “He’s a fair horse. If he had winged the last, he would have gone 10 lengths further clear. He has actually learned by missing the last.
“He’ll step up into graded company now, he’s very quick – I’d say something like the Royal Bond. He’s pretty smart.”
MORE CHEVELEY WINNERS
Elliott has already unleashed some smart three-year-old hurdlers, but Quilixios may be the best of them.
??@jackkennedy15 keeps it simple aboard QUILIXIOS (Maxios), who sluices up @Downroyal and is now unbeaten in three career starts. He is another exciting prospect for @gelliott_racing and @CPStudOfficial ??pic.twitter.com/JMy6lL78U2
— Cheveley Park Stud (@CPStudOfficial) October 31, 2020
He did not come off the bridle in winning the Metcollect 3yo Hurdle, but he was a prohibitive 1/16 favourite and now holds the honour of heading the early betting for the Triumph Hurdle.
Elliott said: “He couldn’t have done that any easier, it was a canter around for him. He’s so laid-back about it.
“Jack said he picked up from the second last and galloped in. He’s better than that race.
“He may be one to go straight to Christmas (Leopardstown) with. Obviously there is Fairyhouse, but I think we will go straight to Christmas. He has loads of experience.”
The Cheveley Park colours were also carried to victory in the closing bumper as Elliott won it for the sixth year in a row with Sir Gerhard (2/5 favourite) who made a huge impression in the hands of Jamie Codd.
Sir Gerhard - huge reputation, big impression on Rules debut and warm order for the @weatherbysltd Champion Bumper ??
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) October 31, 2020
Enjoy the full replay and all of today's finishes ??
Elliott also won the feature Ladbrokes Champion Chase with The Storyteller to cap a fruitful two days at Down Royal.
He said: “It’s been a great couple of days with eight winners here and a winner in Wetherby too. A few got beaten and a few won and that’s the way it is, but I’m very happy with the way it went.
“He (Sir Gerhard) is a nice horse. We might go to Navan now for that Listed bumper and see where we go from there.”
HANDICAP WINNER
Cayd Boy (10/1) provided Liz Doyle with a nice winner in the WKD Handicap Hurdle.
Five runs and he's never finished outside the first two, Cayd Boy wins the @WKDOfficial Handicap Hurdle. @LizDoyleRacing the winning trainer & Mark Walsh the winning jockey. pic.twitter.com/SuVkUA4FkU
— Down Royal Racecourse (@Downroyal) October 31, 2020
Walsh brought the handicap newcomer down the outside, which meant he missed trouble at the second last when The Very Man fell, bringing down Drop The Anchor.
Walsh said: “We actually didn’t go much of a gallop which suited my fellow because he has a good turn of foot.
“I just got a nice position turning into the straight, kicked him on at the second last and he winged it.”