JACK Kennedy stretched his lead at the head of the jockeys’ championship at Galway on Sunday where the Gold Cup winning rider registered a maiden hurdles double for trainer Gordon Elliott and owners Gigginstown House Stud.

Kennedy began by winning the opening winabmw.ie Mares Maiden Hurdle with bumper victor Miss Agusta, which scored readily from Saddle Her Up having raced prominently throughout.

Elliott wasn’t present and afterwards Kennedy commented: “We didn’t go overly quick and she was a bit keen. She settled at times and then she started running with me the odd time, but I think she’d settle away the finest in a strongly-run race.

“She couldn’t have done much more - I’m delighted with her as it is testing out there, but she went through it fine.”

Just under three hours later Kennedy, Elliott and Gigginstown completed doubles in the Glenlo Abbey Hotel & Estate Maiden Hurdle with previously graded-placed Search For Glory (1/9 favourite) who scored by 10 lengths from Search For Glory.

“He picked up well from the back of the last, but would want to be beating them as easy as he did as they were fairly weak opposition,” said the Kerry rider, securing his 42nd win of the campaign.

“His mistake at the last wouldn’t have helped and he was probably only going through the motions. He’ll definitely come on fitness-wise and I’m happy with him.”

Kennedy’s nearest pursuer in the championship is Keith Donoghue, who partnered his 38th winner this term in the Glenman Corporation Handicap Chase with Hascoeur Clermont (18/5) for in-form trainer Gavin Cromwell.

It was a debut success for the Riverview Racing Syndicate-owned runner and Cromwell reported: “It is great for the syndicate who are from Trim and I’m delighted for them.

“This is compensation for his last two runs as he ballooned the last at Downpatrick and it might have cost him.

“It is a brilliant place for them to get their first winner. We weren’t sure about the ground, but he handled it well. He’ll continue running in staying chases and we’ll make hay while the sun shines.”

HIGH-class novice hurdler Affordale Fury (4/6 favourite) got off the mark on his fences debut in the Colm Quinn BMW Irish EBF Beginners Chase scoring in workmanlike manner from another of last season’s good novices Favori De Champdou.

Both horses set a strong pace and raced clear of their rivals virtually throughout with Affordale Fury getting the better of the battle on the run-in to score by a length and a half.

Winning trainer Noel Meade reported: “It is a bit of a relief as in beginners’ chases you never know what will happen. He was very good, though, and those ex point-to-pointers are well schooled. We brought him to the Curragh a few weeks ago and he was really, really good.

“Where I’d love to be is in Leopardstown over Christmas for the Grade 1 novice over three miles. We’ll enter him for the Drinmore in between, but might instead run in the Grade 2 Florida Pearl (two miles and six furlongs, Punchestown) instead.

“Sam’s (Ewing, winning jockey) dad Warren had him as a young horse and Sam is sponsored by Philip Polly (successful owner), who also sponsors Danny McMenamin in Scotland. It’s Sam’s first winner back from injury and he is blowing as hard as the horse!”

There was another notable equine performance in the Ann Walsh Memorial Novice Hurdle as Paul Gilligan’s locally trained Sequestered (7/2) set himself up for a Cheltenham November meeting attempt with his success.

Ridden by Jack Gilligan, Sequestered was pestered by a loose horse coming into the dip but quickened past his rivals on the outer to score by a half-length from Stuzzikini.

Gilligan senior stated: “This is a fair, good horse and I did think he would win, although I was worried about the gluey ground. He didn’t jump early, but I told Jack to leave him asleep for as long as he could. He will be on the boat to Cheltenham in November for a graded novice.

The trainer was following up yesterday’s course success with Buddy One and added here: “Thanks to Tom (Quinn) and Paul (Lyons) who invested in him and we’re lucky we have nice horses. We got rid of the low-grade stuff, bought in good stamps of horses and have 10 riding out.

“These are the days you want and Tom (Quinn) joined us 18 months ago and brought in good owners with him. We’ll try and buy more if we can.”

SEVENTEEN-year-old amateur jockey Luke Turner registered his first winner in the concluding Front Door Fillies Bumper, steering the Barry Fitzgerald-trained, Cobajay Limited-owned Magical Annie to score on debut.

The Jukebox Jury-filly was backed down to 8/1 (from morning prices of 25/1) before being produced with a well-timed challenge to lead inside the final furlong and beat Glens Lullaby by a half-length.

A delighted Turner reported: “I’m from up north in Inishowen in Donegal and I know Oisin Orr and Dylan (Browne McMonagle) and all the boys. I’m based with Willie Mullins and go to Barry’s (Fitzgerald, trainer) every day. That’s only my sixth ride and hopefully it’ll continue to go well.”

Fitzgerald added: “She is a lovely filly, we gave her a break last year for the summer and brought her back with today being the plan. She is a game filly, wears her heart on her sleeve and has jumped banks in Scobie’s (Aidan Fitzgerald, brother).

“A lot of fillies were talked about, but we were hopeful of a good run and she’ll go to the Tattersalls November Sales now. Fair play to Luke as he works hard. We were gone this morning at 7am and he came in to ride out two horses before coming racing.”

Champo

The Philip Rothwell-trained, Oliver Barden-owned El Champo (8/1) followed up a recent course win with a third career success in the Race In Pink Handicap Hurdle, scoring under a front-running ride from Paddy O’Hanlon.

Rothwell reported: “I thought this was the ideal race for him after going up (in the weights) having won over two miles and three furlongs on soft ground the last day. He was back in trip, but I wanted to let him roll on and Paddy (O’Hanlon) is so good at making the running.

The Marlin Hotel Dublin Handicap Chase was won by the Declan Queally-trained Natural Look (5/1), which scored under jockey Shane Fitzgerald and for owner David Needham.

Fitzgerald said: “She had been knocking on the door in a couple of chases and, while her jumping let her down one or two days, to be fair she was very good there.

“The chase course is an awful lot more testing than the hurdle track, but she battled and was game to the line.”