Far Hills Saturday

DESPITE a profitable US expedition for the Elliott yard, the big prize at Far Hills, New Jersey, last weekend went beyond their grasp.

The John McConnell-trained Seddon fared best with a third place as victory went to an Irish-bred (Irish born horses filled the first three placings), in Noah And The Ark who came through up the inside in the straight under Harrison Beswick.

Noah And The Ark surged clear to decisively win the $250,000 Grand National with this year’s Lonesome Glory Hurdle winner Merry Maker in second, well clear of John McConnell’s pacesetting Seddon in third.

Seddon and Ben Harvey had jumped well in front and only gave way from the last home.

The Elliott-trained favourite Salvador Ziggy, who chased Seddon early in second, weakened from the final hurdle to finish unplaced, last of the seven finishers. Former top US jumps horse Snap Decision was pulled up.

Todd McKenna trains the winner, a nine-year-old chesnut gelding by Vinnie Roe, for owner Keystone Thoroughbreds. He was bred here by Tony Slattery at his Milltown Britton Stud.

The winner had been trained for much of his career by Donald McCain and last won at Worcester in 2019 when ridden by last weekend’s winning rider Harrison Beswick.

This was his first win in four races this year. Last year, he won the Grade 1 Lonesome Glory by nine lengths.

Having gone unplaced in his three early starts in 2023, he was among the outsiders in the National last weekend.

His rider Harrison Beswick went on to ride a double on the card on McLovin in the final flat race of the day.

Among those in Ireland delighted to see Noah And The Ark win was Beswick’s godfather, the renowned sport horse agent, ‘Young’ Ned Cash who, with his wife Dell, watched the entire meeting on attheraces.

“I used to buy ponies and horses for Harrison’s mother, the late Jane Beswick, and, before that, for her father, Mark Chambers,” revealed Cash. “Harrison used to spend his school holidays with us and he never sat on a racehorse until he was with me at Ross O’Sullivan’s one day and we put him up on one and he never looked back. He’s a very nice chap and a lovely rider.”

Elliott treble

Elliott and Kennedy had been quick off the mark in the two opening races.

Kyogo led over the last and kept on to win the $30,000-to-the-winner Gladstone Hurdle and Calico picked up another $30,000 when he made most of the running and stayed on for a decisive eight-length success in his contest.

The Robcour-owned Say Goodbye was driven out by Jack Kennedy on the run-in to run out a three and a quarter length winner of the two mile and a furlong Peapack Hurdle for fillies and mares worth $45,000 to the winner, bringing Elliott’s rewards on the day to over $100,000.

Elliott was content with the day’s haul saying: “We love coming here, they treat us very well,” he said.