American Grand National (Sport of Kings Hurdle Stakes) (Grade 1)

GORDON Elliott ventured to America again on Saturday with a team of five horses and won his third American Grand National.

The Galway Plate and Punchestown Grade 1 winner Western Fold was the main contender and the seven-year-old emerged victorious, but needing all of Jack Kennedy’s strength to get the better of former stable companion Fil Dor in a battle up the run-in. Elliott’s other runner Zanahiyr was three and a quarter lengths back in third of the seven runners.

Western Fold was sent off evens favourite and ran in the colours of Del Rio Racing. Always well placed, he went forward to take the last in the lead, but the second stayed on tenaciously, to land the $180,000 first prize.

The meet offers North America’s richest day of steeplechase racing, with $839,000 in purses. The $300,000 Grade 1 American Grand National “the Sport Of Kings Hurdle stakes” over two miles and five furlongs, dates back to 1899 and has been run in a variety of locations.

Western Fold runs in the ownership of Weld-Spec (Glasgow) Ltd and Dee L’Estrange, while second-placed Fil Dor was ridden by Conor Tierney for Ricky Hendriks and Del Rio Racing.

The Del Rio Racing ownership group is headed by Virginia ‘Gigi’ Lazenby. Her father was one of the founders of the Iroquois Steeplechase and her brother was one of the youngest riders at the Iroquois.

Virginia Lazenby is the CEO of Bretagne LLC, an oil and gas company. She opened a steeplechasing stable in 2014 and campaigned flat horses and several stakes’ horses with her brother and shared among the US jumps trainers. She serves on the board of The National Steeplechase Association as Vice President.

Lizzie leads

In the $150,000 Grade 2 Foxbrook Champion Hurdle (Novice Hurdle) over two and a half miles, Lizzie Twigg and Kennedy were sent off at odds-on, and were always looking like winners and raced away from the last obstacle to win by nine and a quarter lengths from Lynches Knock (Conor Tierney/Ricky Hendriks/Del Rio Racing).

Elliott and Kennedy had to settle for second in the second race, the McDynamo Maiden Hurdle Stakes, which went to Graham Watters on board the Irish-bred I Found My Jet (Graham Watters/Todd McKenna).

San Hilario and Jack Kennedy picked up $11,520 for second place for Del Rio Racing.

Elliott’s other runner on the card, Porcupine Bank, also in the Del Rio Racing colours, had to be pulled up after an early mistake in the first race, the four-year-old hurdle stakes, where Danny Mullins also had an unplaced mount.

Elliott had no runners in the third race, the Grade 2 $100,000 The Peapack Sport of Kings Filly & Mare Hurdle Stakes, but Blue Waters was previously trained by Elliott and was yet another Far Hills winner to carry the colours of Del Rio Racing.

There was an Irish connection here too, as Irish-bred Blue Waters justified favouritism by over three lengths under Conor Tierney for trainer Ricky Hendriks and Del Rio Racing.