Perth

GORDON Elliott was in good form at Perth’s flagship meeting this week when four winners and a number of places was enough to take him past the £1 million prize money landmark at the Scottish track. Elliott’s first winner at Perth was Arresting in 2006 and this week’s achievement is a solid indicator of his rapid progression since.

Richard Johnson partnered all four of Elliott’s winners and himself reached a stealthy landmark, 200 winners this season.

The pair kicked off with a maiden hurdle winner on Wednesday. The P J McBurney-owned Braid Blue was sent off a solid Even money favourite and won by an easy 11 lengths. On Thursday Rakhine State was another warm favourite, sent off 5/4, but had to work a little harder for his victory in a novice hurdle. Driven out by Johnson, the six-year-old won by over two lengths for the Armagh Bhoys Partnership.

It was the same story again yesterday except this time it was a double. Count Simon and Load Up Time did the business for the Cullentra trainer and both won in a similar style for Johnson, collaring a rival close home. Count Simon, owned by Pat and Joe Sloan, has shown consistent form this year and was gaining a deserved success.

Load Up Time has also been running with credit this term, including when second here on Wednesday, and gained his first win in a handicap hurdle. He was another winning favourite, backed into 9/4.

Elliott wasn’t the only Irish trainer in luck at Perth as Karl Thornton also sent out two winners. The Dublin trainer sent out the Gary Ryan-owned Oromo to win by 11 lengths from the Gavin Cromwell-trained Captain Courageous in a two-mile handicap hurdle on Thursday. That success followed a win for Shanroe Al C in a three-mile handicap hurdle on Wednesday. The six-year-old son of Arcadio beat the aforementioned Load Up Time and looks to be going in the right direction.

John McConnell was the other Irish trainer who made a successful visit to Perth. Go Another One was probably the most significant Irish-trained winner of the week as he took a three-mile listed novice hurdle in good style, with Richard Johnson again combining for success with an Irish raider.

Go Another One, owned by Caroline Ahearn, was winning for the fifth time over hurdles and won’t be out of place if connections decide to take up an engagement in the Grade 1 Irish Daily Mirror Novice Hurdle at Punchestown next week.