GORDON Elliott registered a treble at Cork on Easter Sunday, to also add to a Fairyhouse winner, but the feature races evaded the Championship-chasing trainer with the Grade 3 Imperial Call Chase and €50,000 FBD Insurance Handicap Hurdle going to Cork-based trainers.
Both feature races provided popular winners on the day with the Imperial Call Chase going to father/son, trainer/jockey combination Liam and Jonathan Burke with Sumos Novios (3/1).
The 10-year-old son of Flemensfirth improved to lead after jumping the third last fence and in the end proved two and a quarter lengths too strong for Mala Beach.
Curraglass-based trainer Burke also owns Sumos Novios and following the race said: “He is settling and did everything right today. I could never before in his life run him like that, so quick (from his previous run) and it is only now that he is 10 years of age that he is taking his training properly.
“He found plenty today when he asked him and for a big horse he is agile enough over his fences. I’ll run him in Punchestown if the weather lasts but it needs to be safe for him to run.
“He’s after winning a graded race now and it’s great to get one like that. It’s a great win for Jonathan too as he needed to get on a good one and it’ll give him more confidence.”
Half an hour later, Carrigtwohill-based trainer Noel O’Neill landed the FBD Insurance Handicap Hurdle with 20/1 chance Ministerforsport who maintained his remarkable winning strike-rate for the Shout It From The Roof Top Syndicate.
The seven-year-old was beaten into fifth place at Clonmel in January but had previously won his five earlier races, including three point-to-points and a Gowran bumper and Limerick maiden hurdle.
He resumed winning ways under jockey Donie McInerney and afterwards trainer O’Neill, a farrier by trade, said: “The form of his maiden hurdle win at Limerick worked out well with the second, third, fourth and fifth-placed horses winning since and in hindsight, running at Clonmel afterwards was too soon for him and he ran flat that day.
“We freshened him up and he had been working quite well recently and will be a nice, tough staying chaser in time and that’s what we’ll keep aiming him for.
“I’ll see how he comes out of this before making a decision on Punchestown but we found he does need a break between runs and it is highly unlikely.”
Jockey McInerney went on to record a double on the card when causing yet another 20/1 surprise on the Margaret Flynn-trained Dr Mikey, who landed the Pavilion Restaurant Hurdle.
Co Waterford-based Flynn later reported: “He had a very bad injury 14 months ago when he ruptured his tendon on the off fore in a novice hurdle in January 2017. We had him cantering after five months but only because of the sea (being nearby) and that’s the first time he galloped on the level and we do controlled exercise with him going uphill instead.
“He is very free-going and can be bold and is highly strung but suits a small yard. He walks around the yard all day long but we don’t let him out on the field because we’re afraid he’d gallop. He’d a lot of work done coming here but he’d prefer better ground.”
Racing began with the first of trainer Gordon Elliott’s three winners, Park Paddocks in the opening Dermot Casey Tree Care Maiden Hurdle.
Winning jockey Keith Donoghue steered the Gigginstown House Stud-owned runner to a 16-length success and afterwards Elliott’s assistant trainer Davy Condon reported: “He had been very free and is only now learning to switch off. He settled lovely today and got a nice lead. He’ll go on good ground so will keep going for the summer.”
Half an hour later Elliott and Donoghue combined to win the O’Flynn Motors Mallow (Mares) Maiden Hurdle with Moonlight Escape (5/1), but not without significant luck on their side.
Tell Me Annie was well clear approaching the final flight but crashed out at the obstacle leaving Moonlight Escape to edge out runner-up Bang Bang Roise for a three-quarter-length win.
Condon commented: “She got lucky although they are there to be jumped. She deserved it because she had been knocking on the door and is honest and stays all day.
“She is on the go a long time and Gordon might give her a little break now before getting going again for the summer.”
Elliott’s treble was brought up in the Munster Waste Management Handicap Hurdle with Goodthynemilan (5/1, for owners the Barstool Prophets Syndicate), who recorded her fourth win for the trainer, this time under jockey Denis O’Regan.
The mare scored an easy 12-length win and Condon said: “She is always in the money and now she is going to be covered by Mount Nelson. We’re hoping she can win another race before she retires and can now go back over fences.”
High Nellie gained a second career win for her owner, trainer and breeder Michael Bowe when landing the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Beginners Chase at Cork today under jockey Cathal Landers.
The eight-year-old mare bravely fought off the challenge of runner-up Burgas from the third last fence and in the end scored her second win since a maiden hurdle success at Wexford last September.
Co Kilkenny-based Bowe, famed handler of Limestone Lad, said: “She is as tough as they come and is a dinger. We had her dam and she was a dinger too.
“She isn’t in love with that ground as she is a summer mare and being by High Chapparal, she will be a valuable mare to go to the paddocks later on.”
The concluding Jim Ryan Services Bumper was won by the Noel Meade-trained, Eoin Banvile-owned Impatient Partner (5/1), who scored a fine two and a quarter-length win under jockey Mark O’Hare, from 4/6 favourite Stay Humbel.
Meade was himself registering a treble on the day having enjoyed two winners at Fairyhouse and following Impatient Partner’s success, jockey O’Hare said: “He is tough and stayed galloping. The ground is rotten and he ran to the line so you couldn’t fault him.”
ACTING STEWARDS
P. McLernon, J. Farrell, J. Maguire, J. Powell, M.F. O’Donoghue
HORSE TO FOLLOW
STAY HUMBLE (W.P. Mullins): Has been a beaten 4/6 favourite on both of his two starts to date but was beaten by a useful horse today and can gain compensation next time.