GORDON Elliott paid tribute to his staff after a quiet spell was left in the rear-view mirror with a treble at Downpatrick.

“I’ve got a good team behind me and owners and horses. Things just weren’t right and we had to sit on our hands. I think we did the right thing and credit to the staff, they all worked hard,” he said. “I haven’t had a treble in about a month or six weeks!”

He spoke after Carrie Des Champs ran away with the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares’ Flat Race. The 7/1 shot powered home under Lisa O’Neill by 10 lengths from stablemate Melior.

Elliott added: “We liked her and she came on a good bit from the last day. We’ll go for a winners’ mares’ bumper in Perth in six or seven weeks’ time. The owner (Kenneth Alexander) is from Scotland so we are going to go over there with her.

“The runner-up is grand –she wants a trip.”

Ravenhill got the ball rolling for Elliott in the hannontravel.ie Maiden hurdle over an extended two miles, and five furlongs.

The heavily backed 6/4 favourite capitalised on a mistake at the last by front-running Turbo to pass him on the run-in and score by two and a quarter lengths, with Davy Russell in the plate.

Elliott, who was accompanied by plenty of members of the Try Ravenhill Syndicate, said: “Those owners are from all over the north of Ireland so it’s great for them to get a winner.

“The other horse probably made it a bit easier when he made a mistake but in fairness Ravenhill wasn’t beaten. That’s more his trip and we’ll keep him going over the summer, he likes the good ground.”

SLOAN WINNER

Russell was also on board Count Simon who got his head in front in the final 150 yards of the Down Time Festival Rated Novice Hurdle for owner Pat Sloan.

After the 9/4 favourite forged on by five and a half lengths at the winning post, Elliott said: “Davy’s lucky for me, he doesn’t do much wrong anyway! It’s great for the Sloans who are big supporters of the yard.

“He had the form to win but he just jumped his hurdles too carefully, that’s why I put the cheekpieces on today. He won well when he got the gap. There is improvement over hurdles (to come) and he could be a horse to go back on the flat.”

Downpatrick trainer Brian Hamilton savoured success at his local track when Hillary John made all in the Bet Now With The Ladbrokes App Maiden Hurdle for the Up The Hoops Racing Club.

Cork native Gavin Sheehan, who is based in England, came over for the ride and kept the seven-year-old up to his work to win by a length at 8/1.

Hamilton said: “He works quite well at home and won his point-to-point well. The boys bought him off Eddie Ahern off Facebook.

“We got him for a young lad in the yard to ride and school on but the young fellow hasn’t got a licence yet so we ran him in a point-to-point. His jumping was a bit dodgy, though, so we thought there was no point in running him back in a point-to-point.

“He seems to handle that bit of better ground and he could go on and win again.

“The reason Gavin rode him is that the fellow that is the head of the syndicate, Paul Burns, works in Clive Cox’s in England and is born and bred in Downpatrick. Gavin is friendly with them over in Lambourn.”

LOBBING AWAY

Killiney Court (8/1) was another to land the spoils from the front, this time in the Download The Ladbrokes App Handicap Hurdle. Henry de Bromhead’s charge never saw a rival as he posted a 10-length victory for owner Martin Bambrick.

Jockey Dylan Robinson said: “He loved that just lobbing away out in front. I kept filling him up and filling him up. He likes it here, he won here before. It’s nice to get his confidence back.”

Co Tyrone trainer Andrew Oliver saddled a one-two in the Molson Coors Handicap Hurdle.

Ronald Graffin’s Touchedbyanangel (10/1) took over from Go Guarantor in the final furlong and drew three lengths clear in the hands of Andrew Lynch.

Oliver said: “We ran him here the last time over a longer trip and we thought we’d bring him back. He loves that ground and loves the track.

“He’s a handy horse with a good attitude. Andrew knows him well and gave him a great ride and said we would just try and be positive and we rode him as we said we would. It worked out perfectly.”

Victoria Bay (4/1) was left at the head of affairs after Tin Town Liz slipped on the bend after the fifth flight in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares Handicap Hurdle.

RESOLVE

She showed plenty of resolve to see off all comers, though, and stretched away to win by five and a half lengths for trainer Colin Bowe.

Sean Flanagan did the steering for the Rich & Nora Furlong Partnership and said: “Her last run was over three miles and she was unlucky to get beaten. I have ridden her knowing well that she gets the trip and she has done it well.

“She’s better on better ground, it was softer ground last time and that is probably why she got beaten. She has a really nice pedigree and will be a nice mare to jump a fence.”

ACTING STEWARDS

R.W. Steele, L. McFerran, B. Polly, C. Cunningham, M.F. O’Donoghue

HORSE TO FOLLOW

TURBO (J.R. Finn): A mistake at the last cost him dearly but he has an engine and can win a summer maiden hurdle.