STUART Crawford could not hide the regard in which he holds O’Toole following an easy winning debut over obstacles in the Connolly’s Red Mills Irish EBF Auction Maiden Hurdle at Down Royal on St Stephen’s Day.

Bought by the powerful owner partnership of Simon Munir and Isaac Souede after winning a Fairyhouse bumper in Crawford’s colours, he went on to be second to Kilcruit in a Grade 1 at the Punchestown Festival.

J.J. Slevin was never far from the front on the 4/9 favourite and urged his mount to quicken with two furlongs to run and, without Slevin having to get too serious, O’Toole went on to win by seven and a half lengths.

Crawford said: “He has probably grown, he’s a wee bit bigger and stronger. Sure, we had to start somewhere and that was an ideal race to start on our doorstep. He’s just a big, laid back, easy-going horse. We will just try to place him sensibly over hurdles this year.

“I really can’t wait to jump fences with him, but we’ll not get too far ahead of ourselves. He will come on plenty for that and the further he goes the better he will be. He has a great temperament, in so far as he is laid back, so you can probably put him where you want to in a race.

“He’s in a handful of the most exciting horses certainly in Ireland this winter. He’s a proper Gold Cup type of horse, I hope. He’s a big staying chaser. He’s not a slow horse and he will furnish more for another summer. He is improving all the time.”

Double

Crawford completed a double later on the card when Dorking Cock landed the Metcollect Cable Recycling Hunters Chase under Stephen O’Connor.

The 22/1 shot defeated Er Dancer by almost three lengths, with 11/10 favourite Vaucelet third, another four lengths back.

The winner won four races for British trainer Tom Lacey before he was bought by Crawford for £31,000 in the summer of 2020 and the seven-year-old son of Winged Love still carries the trainer’s own colours.

“I’d say that was a proper hunters chase and that’s not a bad horse,” Crawford said. “He was bought to do that and, with Covid, I didn’t get to run him in any point-to-points. He’s still only learning and I’m finding out about him even though I probably have him a year and a half.”

Noel Meade and rising star Neil Ryan also had two winners on the day, both horses owned by the trainer too. They completed the double in the Metcollect-sponsored bumper, when newcomer Pinkerton (12/1) defeated the Crawford-trained The Flier Begley (3/1) by a length and a half.

The winner, a €21,000 son of Ocovango, found plenty under pressure, unlike the more-experienced runner-up who threw away his chance by hanging left in the closing stages and lost out by a length and a half.

First win

The trainer and rider’s first strike came in the extended two-mile handicap hurdle for claiming riders sponsored by Adare Manor which saw 5/1 favourite Ben Thomson record a first win on his 10th start.

Three horses battled this one out from the last to the line, where Ben Thomson had a neck and a head to spare from Magic Sea and Autumn Crusade respectively. Trevor Ryan picked up a three-day ban for his use of the whip on the runner-up.

IT wouldn’t be Christmas at Down Royal without a Gordon Elliott winner or two. True to form, the trainer supplied two winning favourites in the shape of Gerri Colombe and Fakir D’Alene, both ridden by Denis O’Regan.

Bought by Brian Acheson’s Robcour for £240,000 after winning his point-to-point, Gerri Colombe picked up two bumpers for current connections last season and duly justified odds of 2/5 in the opening two-and-a-half-mile maiden hurdle here.

After dismounting from the five-year-old son of Saddler Maker, O’Regan said: “He’s still very green for a horse that has done so much, he still has a lot to learn. He jumped well and he is a beautiful horse to look forward to. A nice stayer. He has a nice bit of class.”

Fakir D’Alene was a £160,000 purchase for the Morans of Bective Stud after his point-to-point win.

A modest winning hurdler last season, the six-year-old son of Cokoriko promises to be a better chaser judged on his 32-length success in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Beginners Chase over two miles and six furlongs. He wore blinkers here, having donned cheekpieces on his previous three starts.

O’Regan said: “He jumps well and had experience from the last day. I think he is going to be a better chaser than a hurdler. Obviously the blinkers helped, they just kept him focused throughout. He’s not ungenuine or anything. I thought I was going a good old gallop on him but he wants further. He’ll make into a nice three-mile handicap chaser.”

TEENAGER Sam Ewing has already ridden 58 winners on the flat and won his first race over jumps when partnering School Lane to success in the Metcollect Metal Recycling Handicap Chase.

Trained by Liam Lennon, the well-backed winner came here off the back of two point-to-point wins in the colours of Caoimhe O’Hare, who works with the trainer. After coming from an unpromising position to win by a length and a half from Hollybank King, Ewing said: “It is only my second day riding over jumps so I’m delighted to get off the mark on a good day’s racing.

“I have grown a lot in the last year and the weight has gone against me a bit. It is looking like it is going to be this path eventually. I still have both licences, I’ll hopefully ride a good bit on the flat next year - hopefully still ride for Ger (Lyons) and Mr Weld has been very good to me and Matthew Smith.”