SPRING JUVENILE HURDLE (GRADE 1)

MEGA Fortune looks to have emerged as Ireland’s chief Triumph Hurdle hope as he produced his best effort to date to claim the Grade 1 Spring Juvenile Hurdle for owner Chris Jones.

This contest, which has produced four of the last five Triumph Hurdle winners, looked by far the best juvenile hurdle run in Ireland this season and the standard was set by Mega Fortune’s old rival Bapaume.

The latter had beaten the eventual winner on their two previous meetings but the addition of cheekpieces brought about an altogether sharper effort from Gordon Elliott’s charge.

From the outset of the race, Mega Fortune seemed to be all the better for the fitting of head gear as he raced with real zest and Davy Russell had him up with the pace.

Mega Fortune and Bapaume exchanged the lead but Russell’s mount looked the stronger after two out and he pushed turning for home to move several lengths clear.

The winner was possibly idling somewhat as the last flight loomed and Bapaume stuck to his task admirably but Mega Fortune (9/2) was not for catching.

He finished out his race determinedly to carry the day by three and a half lengths, making it 50 winners for the season for Russell.

The winner’s stablemate Dinaria Des Obeaux was a further seven lengths back in third and she ran a fine race as a bad mistake at the second last cost her any chance of getting involved.

CHEEKPIECES

“The ease in the ground today helped him and so too did the cheekpieces,” said Elliott, whose Tiger Roll took second in this race in 2014 before Triumph glory.

“We felt today that we’d make plenty of use of him and that suited him well. He’ll now go for the Triumph.

“He does go on nicer ground but we just knew that the softer ground would help. He stays very well which is a positive as that is one thing you need to do to win a Triumph.

“Today he travelled really well at all stages, whereas on his last couple of runs he just always seemed to be behind the bridle.”