JORDAN Gainford made the perfect return to action at Kilbeggan last Friday night when bagging a double on the card for his boss Gordon Elliott. Gainford showed no ring-rust on his first mount back when giving Nottodaybobo a strong ride to land the opening two-mile maiden hurdle.

The 4/1 shot came with a strong surge on the run-in to claim Bayou Belle and record a hard fought length victory in the colours of Pioneer Racing. “It’s unreal, it’s like every Christmas at once,” said Gainford afterwards. “I have to thank Jennifer Pugh and her team, everyone in Santry (sports clinic), Garry Cribbin and especially Gordon for standing by me.

“I got a fall before Cheltenham and I was trying to keep things quiet a bit but I just had to come and tell Jennifer, and I got another one on the Friday of Cheltenham. “I took five weeks off and came back and then got another fall in Punchestown. “It’s hard to describe but it was like everything around you is pushing against your head. Jennifer and her team got me back and worked hard, so it’s great.

“It was just a matter of letting it settle and doing plenty of rehab. They said my neck was weak and it wasn’t taking a fall. It was like a slingshot, that was how they described it. I’ve built it up plenty now and please God we keep going.”

Good effect

Gainford was again seen to good effect later on the card when giving Ginnets Girl a similar ride to take the three-mile one furlong maiden hurdle. The 3/1 shot also finished off strongly to claim front-runner Camino Rock on the run-in and record a length success for owners Joe and Danny Byrne.

Assistant Lisa O’Neill said afterwards: “She’s done it really well and Jordan has given her a lovely ride. It’s fantastic for Jordan, it’s a really good start after coming back from injury.

“She’s a really genuine mare and the step up in trip has really played to her assets today. She has a great bunch of owners as well and they’re after getting a good kick out of it.”

Woodnutt Wins again at Kilbeggan

WINNIE Woodnutt was given a well-judged ride by Alex Harvey to claim the Tom Mangan & Locky Murphy Handicap Chase. The Kalanisi mare, trained by the rider’s grandfather David and owned by his father William, sat in the pack behind clear leader Rudy Catrail before giving chase going out on the final circuit.

The 11/4 favourite closed on the front-runner two from home and went on at the last to record a two-and-a-half-length win. “It was an awkward sort of race with Rudy Catrail going on but I thought he was the horse to beat on paper,” said the winning rider. “We didn’t go overly quick and she had a good lead. I was happy enough to go on with a lap to go and I was always taking a pull out of my mare. She jumped really brilliantly and it was just a matter of not getting there too soon.”

The winner had been successful over hurdles at the track in April and another making a winning return to the course was Desertmore House in the following beginners’ chase over the same trip.

Martin Brassil’s charge got a nice split on the inner to lead on the run-in, under Ricky Doyle, and beat long-time leader My Design by two lengths. The 9/2 joint-favourite, owned by Bernard Carroll, had won his beginners’ chase at the track last month before finishing seventh in the Galway Blazers. Brassil said: “He’s probably never run on ground that soft but I wasn’t too worried. He’s game, honest and loves a trip.

“He keeps galloping and he took the shortest way around. He got a grand split and he needed it because he doesn’t do anything in a hurry. I’d say the run in the Blazers helped him for today because he never went as fast in his life.”

’Sergeant marches on following Galway disappointment

THECOMPANYSERGEANT bounced back to winning ways when claiming the novice hurdle for Denis Hogan. The Kayf Tara gelding had pulled up on his return to action at Galway earlier in the month and showed the benefit of that run.

Daniel King sat behind the leaders before picking off front-runner Mighty Mo Missouri on the long run to the last flight. The 2/1 shot, owned by Martin Cooney, galloped on strongly in the closing stages to post a two-length win over Baltic Bird.

“To be honest Galway was a rush job and he missed ten days two weeks out from the race and I shouldn’t have really gone there but it was the aim for a long time. It was a mistake by me to send him,” said Hogan.

“I didn’t have to do much after that, that put him right. He’s come here against a lesser grade and won well.

He’s a lovely horse, the last day is the first day he was ever out of the money. He’s still a novice up until Christmas so we’ll try and exploit that if we can.”

Another novice to make a mark on the card was the Philip Rothwell-trained El Champo, who made a winning start in handicap company in the Tom Lynam Memorial Handicap Hurdle. Paddy O’Hanlon produced the 10/1 shot at the final flight and he got on top on the run-in to score by three lengths from Big Island. Rothwell said: “I’m delighted. It’s nice for Oliver (Barden) to get another winner here.

“I was hoping he’d be competitive but with it being his first run in a handicap it’s hard to know how you’ll fare. He’s a lovely horse and the bit of rain this evening really helped him.”

The rain was a worry for Largy Ray ahead of the bumper on the card but Stuart Crawford’s charge handled conditions well in the John Thomas McNamara Flat Race. Stephen Connor produced the Westerner gelding to lead a furlong out and the 8/1 shot kept on well to score by two and a half lengths from The Shantou King.

The winning rider, in the colours of owner Raymond Scullion, said: “We were waiting for better ground and then we got down here and the ground had changed. I rang Stuart and he said to work away and take our chance as we’d gone down.

“He handled it well and it’s probably not that soft. He shows plenty of ability at home and he proved it today.”