Elliott finds clarity through fog as Croke Park's pedigree is all too visible at Leopardstown
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St Stephen’s Day racing in Leopardstown came perilously close to coming to a premature conclusion as fog blighted the meeting from start to finish.
Racing authorities were concerned with the lack of visibility and the safety and integrity issues which they raised. As a result, there was an hour and a quarter between the third and fourth races, during which period the prospect of the remainder of the meeting going ahead were seriously considered.
Visibility remained restricted but conditions were deemed good enough for the racing to proceed, and Gordon Elliott was, perhaps more than most, thrilled with that decision. He saddled three of the four runners in the day’s feature, the Racing Post Long-Distance Novice Chase, and he duly landed the spoils with Croke Park to bring his tally of Grade One successes to 99.
The winner was weak in the market despite coming here on the back of a victory in the Grade One Drinmore Novice Chase at Fairyhouse, as all the market focus was on stablemate Better Days Ahead, who was attempting to graduate from beginners’ company.
The winner made all the running and looked to be quite comfortably in front as he jumped the last, but Better Days Ahead rallied all the way from the back of the last and it took plenty of persuasion from Sam Ewing to keep Croke Park’s mount’s head in front.
“He had to be tough today,” said the winning rider. “It’s a lot different track to Fairyhouse, with only one fence in the straight, and it’s a long way up there on your own, but he’s very tough. We definitely went a better gallop today than in Fairyhouse, and he had a good look around him, but I’d say there’ll be more improvement in him.”
The trainer was also impressed with the attitude of the Gigginstown House Stud-owned winner, saying: “Obviously he came from the point-to-point fields, he’s a very tough horse, honest and a great jumper. We’re absolutely delighted with the performance today, but we couldn’t see much of the race.
“He disappointed me as a hurdler. We had high expectations for him, but he was probably so big and weak. He’s come back now and has two Grade Ones won this season.
“The second horse didn’t lose much in defeat, and probably more of a test would suit him.”
Gavin Cromwell’s faith in Hello Neighbour was rewarded when the gelding, who is unbeaten in two runs to date on the Flat, made a winning start over hurdles in the Grade Two O’Driscoll’s Irish Whiskey Juvenile Hurdle. The 9-4 favourite made numerous small mistakes and one bad blunder two from home, but he led down over the last and dug in deep to deny the late run of French import Lady Vega Allen, who was making her debut for Willie Mullins.
Said winning rider Keith Donoghue: “I’m delighted to have held on – it was a long straight. He was always going to learn plenty from today. I probably just set him alight a little bit too soon, but I was conscious of getting a good jump at the last. He was probably getting a bit lonely in front.”
Willie and Patrick Mullins got the Christmas festival off to the perfect start by sending out odds-on favourite Kopek Des Bordes to win the TRI Equestrian Maiden Hurdle. The four-year-old, who was successful on his only bumper start, in late March, did plenty wrong but still managed to lead the way home. He jumped left at most of the hurdles, hit the top of many of them, and yet he clearly possesses a big engine as he was able to lead going to the last and gallop all the way to the line to comfortably keep stablemate Kawaboomga at bay.
Willie and Patrick later doubled their tally when Green Splendour, making his stable debut having shown promise in one run for Stuart Crawford, got on top late to take the finale, the Race And Stay Bumper.
Henry de Bromhead made quite a start to his Christmas campaign as he sent out winners at all three Irish tracks with Workahead flying the Knockeen flag at Leopardstown, winning the Thorntons Recycling Maiden Hurdle in great style.
Mike O’Connor was in the saddle, and he made all the running aboard the six-year-old. When he asked for his mount’s effort, the 13-2 chance quickened clear in great style to beat William Munny by seven lengths. Odds-on favourite Redemption Day was very keen throughout the race and had to settle for a disappointing fourth place finish.
Philip Fenton and Niall Moore teamed up to take the Dornan Careers Novice Handicap Hurdle with the progressive Shraheen. The imposing five-year-old, racing off a 9lbs higher mark than when winning last month at Tipperary, was never far off the pace, in front over the last two, and nicely clear at the line. He has the size and scope to make an even better chaser in coming seasons.
There was an exciting finish to the Racing Post Handicap Chase, in which Sean O’Keeffe got a great late tune out of An Peann Dearg to shade the verdict from The Folkes Tiara and The King Of Prs. The winner completed an across-the-cards double for trainer Paul Nolan and owners Anne Coffey, Susan Spence and Sonja Buckley, who were earlier successful at Limerick with Release The Beast.