GORDON Elliott took Tuesday’s final meeting of the year at Tipperary by storm with a just over 11/2 treble, the highlight being Death Duty’s cosy success for Davy Russell first time over fences which clearly had the trainer buzzing.
Last season’s staying novice hurdler races in the familiar colours of Michael O’Leary’s Gigginstown House Stud and the 1/5 favourite, with his distinctive low head carriage, was content to lob along in second behind Cap D’Aubois in the www.tipperaryraces.ie Beginners Chase.
The six-year-old went to the head of affairs after the fifth fence and the race became a two-horse contest turning for home. Cap D’Aubois, however, took another cut at the hot pot to lead coming down to the last where Death Duty blundered and an upset looked to be on the cards.
Russell, nevertheless, had plenty up his sleeve and, taking his cue from Paul Carberry, simply let out an inch of rein to reel in the winner close home by a snug three-quarters of a length. They, in turn, pulled 23 lengths clear of the third-placed Inis Meain.
Elliott said afterwards: “Davy said, bar the first, he was never out of first gear the whole way. He made the mistake at the last, but that’s just one of those things. You have to sit with him, but he’s a very good horse. The one thing you need to be a champion is heart and he came back again.
“He wants two and a half miles and, if he’d gone down and winged the last, I don’t think he could have done anymore than he did. He had a good blow after it.”
The same owner/ trainer and jockey combination had earlier clicked with another odds-on chance Roaring Bull, who comes from the family of Buck House, in the Join The Tipperary Supporters Club 2018 Maiden Hurdle. Leading off the final bend, he stretched clear from the final flight as a 2/7 favourite should to win in effortless fashion by seven and a half lengths from Cash In Mind.
“He’s a nice horse, but he went off at 25/1 in a bumper in Punchestown and didn’t show us much last year,” Elliott remarked. “He has a nice way of doing it, but is still a big baby, green and raw and he’s a horse for next year.”
Winner number three of the afternoon for Team Elliott came via the easy-to-back 7/2 shot Secret Legacy in the Season Finale Flat Race. Nina Carberry’s mount, owned by Alan Harte from Leixlip, who works in London, delivered his challenge between horses and was shaken up inside the distance to win, going away by two and three-quarter lengths from market leader Caliption.
Said his trainer: “I only have him a month and thought, for a while, he was fat enough, but I’d say he’s a good horse who’s going to go places. He’s a big three-mile chaser and he’ll go for a maiden hurdle now.”
Bryan Cooper and Henry de Bromhead found the target in the Follow Tipperary Races On Facebook Mares Maiden Hurdle to double-up for Gigginstown when introducing a nice jumping prospect in the 4/7 favourite Creation. Up with the leaders from flagfall, the French-bred headed the front-running Become Legend after two out and found more, when strongly pressed by Osco Mosco on the run-in, to withstand the challenge by a head.
The hurdling debutante had run well in two bumpers and her trainer stated: “She got a super ride from Bryan and is a nice mare. She jumped well, stayed at it well and, hopefully, she’ll come on from the run. She loves her jumping and might stay a bit further in time.”
The jockey followed up aboard his father Tom’s recent Listowel winner Crocodile Dundee, who put his chasing experience to good use when justifying 2/1 favouritism for the Nenagh-based Whitechurch Stud Syndicate in the Tipperary Handicap Chase. Equipped with a hood, the seven-year-old asserted half-way up the run-in to gain a one and a quarter-length success over Black Scorpion.
The successful trainer observed: “We’ve been a long waiting for him, but both he and Billy De Kid got a bad dose of the virus three years ago. Very few horses win a maiden hurdle and then win a handicap chase after that, but there was plenty of pace on and it suited him. He’ll go for something similar.”
Miss Eyecatcher, from Roger McGrath’s Cappoquin stable, became the fourth odds-on shot to shine when bringing her tally of wins to seven in the Schooling At Tipperary Rated Novice Chase. Ridden by David Mullins, the King’s Theatre mare was returning to the scene of two of her three bumper wins and made every yard to see off the first time-blinkered Jack The Wire by a smooth six and a half lengths.
McGrath, who was away on business for Glanbia, trains the 4/6 favourite for the Connery Family Syndicate from Aglish and Clashmore and Mullins is clearly a fan. He said: “She’s a right good mare and a pleasure to ride. I thought she wanted good ground when I first started riding her, but she handles soft ground well, as she showed at Listowel.
“Three miles won’t even be a problem, if she gets her ground and that’s two hurdle races and two chases she’s won. She’s learning every day.”
The Follow Tipperary Races On Twitter 80-102 Handicap Hurdle produced a good result for the bookmakers, with Pat Fahy’s 16/1 shot No Pressure Pat taking the spoils for Cillin Leonard and the Havin’ The Craic Syndicate by a convincing four and a half lengths at the expense of 10/1 chance Lockeen Girl who was subsequently found to be distressed post race.
Rank outsider Phantasmo was third, a further three-quarters of a length in front of the favourite, West Light.
Explaining how the full-brother to Tully East came to be named, Fahy revealed: “I bought him off Martin Cullinane after he got injured and took a chance on him. A group of my buddies took him off me and said ‘there’s no pressure on you now Pat!’
“He ran green in Thurles where I thought he’d know his job, so we did the rest of the work with him at home. I didn’t think he’d manage that ground, pure glue, but he loved it and that’s his first time over three miles.”
Whip ban
CATHAL Landers incurred a one-day ban for using his whip with excessive frequency in the handicap chase.
ACTING STEWARDS
Ms K. Horgan, Mrs F. Ward, J. Powell, A.J. Molloy, M.F. O’Donoghue
HORSE TO FOLLOW
ROLANNA (W.J. Martin): She was third to Creation in a strong mares maiden hurdle, she stuck at it well and appreciated the soft ground. Should be up to winning a less competitive contest when stepped up to two and a half miles.