BOTH Stuart Crawford and Gordon Elliott continued their good recent form, when completing respective Down Royal-Ayr doubles on Tuesday, with Elliott bagging the first winner of the day, with Disco Dancer (5/2) in Down Royal’s Franciscan Well Rated Novice Hurdle.

Ridden by Danny Gilligan, the six-year-old made all the running in Tuesday’s race and, while strongly pressed by faster-finishing Blue Mosque in the closing stages, held on for a half-length win.

Elliott, who later sent out Timmy Tuesday to score at Ayr, reported: “Danny gave her a lovely ride and dictated from the front. He quickened at the right time and got a good jump over the last. I’d say the jump over the last made the difference.

“She’s great, that’s job done and you can’t complain. I’d imagine something like the mares’ handicap hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival could be next.”

Here and Now

Local Larne-based trainer Crawford’s Irish winner came with Now Where Or When (12/1) in the concluding Madri Excepcional Handicap Chase, scoring under jockey Darragh O’Keeffe.

Crawford had earlier sent Ayiko to win a maiden hurdle at Ayr and, with veteran 10-year-old chaser Now Where Or When, registered a battling half-length win over Marronstown. Trainer Crawford led up the Mrs Margaret McCrudden-owned and bred winner.

Iconic duo

Trainer Philip Rothwell’s recent alliance with 7lb claimer Tiernan Power Roche yielded another success as the pair landed the Pravha Handicap Hurdle with Prince Quattro (4/1, for owner Joseph Germaine).

Prince Quattro made some of the running, when racing prominently throughout and, on the run-in, held Sights Unseen by a half-length.

Power Roche reported: “The runner-up was gaining away on me, but a loose horse prevented my horse from getting lonely. Ala Hudson, who is leading the horse up, is Philip’s head lad and is absolutely brilliant. There wouldn’t be a stone left unturned with him in the yard.

“I have two winners left before I go down to 5lb (claim) and Philip is supporting me greatly. Hopefully, I might be able to keep it going through the 5lb.”

THE most valuable race was the €18,500 Irish Stallion Farms EBF Rated Novice Chase and saw jockey Sean O’Keeffe follow up Sunday’s Kinloch Brae Chase success on Paul Nolan’s Conyers Hill (6/1).

O’Keeffe, who steered the Willie Mullins-trained Appreciate It to a Grade 2 win on Sunday, produced Conyers Hill from off the pace to challenge on the inside in the home straight, with the pair scoring by a neck from One Last Tango.

The Wexford-based Buzzer Syndicate were in good spirits following the race, with Nolan reporting: “I think it took two buses to bring them and the lads might want to go to Cheltenham now! He’ll head on for the novice handicap chase. It was some ride from Sean, as he is a hold-up horse, who tends not to find much off the bridle.”

He added: “His last win was off 112 over hurdles and then he finished second in some €100,000 handicaps, but I thought he had a tough enough chase rating. That’s the sort of horse he is, as he’d run well in a good race and only do what he has to do in a bad race.”

Cian Quirke registered his fourth success of 2025, as the jockey steered easy winner Thisistheway (9/2) to land the Coors Mares Handicap Hurdle for trainer Yvonne Latta.

Flying start

Bumper and maiden hurdle winner Thisistheway notched a third career success, when winning hard-held by four and a half lengths from Albatala.

Jockey Quirke reported: “Fair play to Yvonne and Andrew (Latta) and their team, as they had the mare spot on. They quietly fancied her coming here and couldn’t understand what went wrong the last day.

“She’s a lovely mare and the family are well able to ‘do’ them, so fair play to them.”

He added: “She probably wants two and a half, but a strong two-mile gallop suited and she winged hurdles everywhere. I had loads going down to the last, but was plenty green when she hit the front. She’ll improve a bit again.

“I’m very lucky getting some great support now and, hopefully, we keep her rolling now for another while.”

RACING began with the Molson Coors Beverage Company Maiden Hurdle, which was won by Putapoundinthejar (6/1) for trainer Tony Martin, owner Ray Grehan and jockey Michael O’Sullivan.

Runner-up in a listed bumper on career debut last March, the five-year-old was patiently ridden and, while erring at the second-last, finished well to edge past Pour Les Filles in the final strides, to score by a neck.

Martin reported: “The Limerick run was a lovely run, but he’s a Walk In The Park and was a little bit hot, so it took a while for him to come round to himself. We thought he was a nice horse going to Limerick and he has always showed he was.

“It has just taken a while for everything to fall into place. He’s still relatively young and immature. Today’s race turned into a great opportunity with Willie’s (Mullins, Karoline Banbou) not there.

“Fingers crossed he can go on a bit from here: hopefully, he will learn and come on and there are plenty of opportunities down the road.”

Taking chances

Don’t Talk (11/2) registered a third career success in the Aspall Handicap Chase, scoring for trainer Karl Thornton, jockey Donagh Meyler and owner Gary Ryan.

Previously successful twice over hurdles at Fairyhouse, the eight-year-old travelled well for much of the race and scored by five and a half lengths from Doonbeg Don.

Thornton reported: “All his form is on soft ground, so at 9.50am on Sunday, I was going to pull him out, but thought it didn’t look a wonderful contest, so we took our chances.

“He had only one bit of form on better ground, but it is job done I suppose. He is what he is, but there might be another day in him somewhere; he’s in Fairyhouse on Saturday and we’ll see how he is.”