A STUNNING festive period for Gordon Elliott was rounded off in some style, as a Leopardstown four-timer (alongside another day-four winner at Limerick) brought the Cullentra handler’s Christmas haul to 18 winners - including 13 out of 27 races he had runners in at the Leopardstown Christmas Festival.
Even after winning 45% of all races at Leopardstown over Christmas, Elliott was keen to talk down any possible title bid. He is instead more imminently looking forward to a meaningful Dublin Racing Festival challenge, though one of his brightest stars, Wodhooh, is set to go straight to Cheltenham after her Grade 3 win at Leopardstown on Monday.
It wasn’t a wildly impressive display from the 8/15 favourite under Jack Kennedy, but she was always doing enough to beat Feet Of A Dancer by two and a quarter lengths in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Kerrymount Mares Hurdle.
“This has been an unbelievable week - everything is just bouncing right for us,” said Elliott.
“Wodhooh is an unassuming filly who doesn’t do anything fancy at home but she knows how to win. We were toying with going for the two-mile race today and that showed it could have been a bit sharp around there for her. It turned into a bit of a sprint, and she nearly got caught napping for a couple of strides, but she picked up and galloped.
“She’s owned by a great syndicate of friends in the Sundowners Partnership. I’d imagine she’ll go straight to the Mares’ Hurdle.”
Opportunity Knocks
The afternoon got off to a flying start for team Elliott when Lynches Knock (6/1) - despite being the lesser fancied of the stable’s pair - finished with a flourish to win the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Academy Hurdle on his second start.
Jordan Gainford was strong on the Sapphire Racing-owned gelding by Kessaar, and got up in the nick of time to beat the well-experienced Kilbarry Lizzy by a neck.
“He was a bit keen the last day [when third in a Navan Academy Hurdle where Kilbarry Lizzy finished second], so we rode him to get him settled. He’s come a long way forward and I loved the way he galloped and hit the line. He could end up being a Fred Winter horse.”
Gigginstown double
Carl Millar, one of seven jockeys to ride a winner for Elliott over the four days, was at his strongest aboard Kish Bank when outbattling Union Station to win the Adare Manor Opportunity Handicap Chase for Gigginstown House Stud.
A combination of decent ground, three miles and a first start in handicap company appeared to work the oracle for the 9/2 shot.
Elliott said: “He’s by Mount Nelson and I’d say he didn’t mind the ground. It’s great for Carl, who has been plagued with injuries over the last couple of years and keeps coming back. He always rides a winner at the big festivals.”
Gigginstown brought up their sixth winner of the Christmas window in the final race of the festival, as Keep Him Company powered clear late on under Josh Williamson to land the Jump Into Hospitality At Dublin Racing Festival Bumper.
The £220,000 point-to-point buy had shown promise when winning on his rules debut at Fairyhouse a month earlier, and this was another step up - beating the experienced Passenger by four and a half lengths.
Sent off 100/30 here, Keep Him Company is now a 16/1 shot for the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham (from 25/1).
Elliott was properly taken by the performance and said: “He’s the kind of horse you could see back here in a three-mile chase in a few years’ time. He’s a real good one. He might come back here for the Dublin Racing Festival, but that’s probably as tight as he’d want the ground.”
EXCITING times lie in store for the father-and-son training team of Pat and Sean Collins with their stable star Champagne Kid after a bold display to win the €100,000 Neville Hotels Premier Handicap Hurdle.
The Co Down-based yard had their recent Punchestown maiden hurdle scorer in top shape for his biggest test yet, and he came good under a cracking prominent ride from promising 7lb claimer Eoghan Finegan at 15/2.
Speaking after the three-and-a-half-length success, assistant trainer Sean Collins said: “He won well; he’s really turned a corner since he was beaten a few starts ago at Listowel. He’s the type of horse who gets himself fired up for the occasion. Eoghan is a rider going places and rode him very well.
“We might come back here for the Dublin Racing Festival or maybe Cheltenham. You never know. He’s a good horse and we’re lucky to have him.”
Denis Hogan might also be entitled to spring festival ambitions with the highly-regarded Frankie John (11/2), who found generously for pressure to beat Jalon d’Oudairies in the Donohue Marquees Maiden Hurdle over an extended two and a half miles.
This was the Co Tipperary trainer’s first win in Ireland as a rider since 2022, and he had a willing partner in a tight finish - scoring by half a length while the pair drew 13 lengths clear of the field. There was a slight sting in the tail for Hogan when handed 10 days of whip-related suspensions, but this breakthrough hurdles win after some smart efforts in defeat clearly meant a lot.
“I love this horse. When he got to the front he was a bit lairy,” said Hogan. “He was against three or four graded horses today and I think he is one himself, albeit a chaser in the making. He’s exciting.
“I have to thank John Mahon and my parents, who were offered plenty of money for him and it wasn’t enough for them - they wanted to enjoy racing him. If someone comes with enough money, he could be sold but we’ll enjoy him and it’s important for me to have a horse like him in the yard.”
Wonderful Walks
Walks In June was easy to back at 11/1 in the SIS Supporting Irish Racing Irish EBF Novice Handicap Hurdle, but that didn’t stop him producing a useful display to strike for Henry de Bromhead, Darragh O’Keeffe and Barry Maloney.
The lightly raced five-year-old is now two from three over hurdles, and proved ahead of the assessor off his mark of 124 here (up 7lb since) to beat 11/8 favourite Fierce Handay by two and three quarters of a length.
De Bromhead said: “We’ve always liked him. He was disappointing at Navan last time [in the Monksfield], and I’d say the [heavier] ground didn’t help him. Darragh felt he winged hurdles. He’s had three runs over hurdles and we might start looking at March. He’s quite a big, light-framed horse so maybe a month easy now and come back for the spring.”