GORDON Elliott’s new recruit Music Of Tara was the feature leg of a 1,576/1 four-timer for the trainer when she landed the €45,000 Navan Handicap Hurdle.

The eight-year-old mare switched to Elliott from Henry de Bromhead for whom she won a handicap hurdle at Leopardstown and a rated novice chase at Tipperary.

The 12/1 shot was held up by Sam Ewing and stayed on into third at the final flight. She kept on well to hit the front in the final 100 yards and won by a length and a quarter.

Elliott said: “John Flood from Boardsmill Stud would be a very good friend of mine. He bought her to breed from. He said he would give her a chance and see how she goes. Both he and Faye (Morris, wife) are very good friends of mine.

“She will mix chasing and hurdling. There is a race in England in three weeks’ time at Huntingdon that we are going to go for that - a mares’ listed chase.”

Jake Coen, on fourth-placed Koori Star, was given a four-day ban for excessive frequency with the whip.

Climbing the Ladder

Ewing and Elliott combined to take the preceding race on the card - the NavanRacecourse.ie Maiden Hurdle - with Jacob’s Ladder (6/1).

The Gigginstown House Stud representative closed after the penultimate hurdle and got to grips with 6/5 favourite Forty Coats close home to strike by half a length.

The trainer said: “We were slow at the last and the leader had good form. He is a nice horse and he won a bumper (at Down Royal) well. He was disappointing obviously in the bumper at Punchestown. Jumping is going to be his game. He has (gears) and is a good, honest horse.”

Danny Gilligan was enlisted for the steering on Three Card Brag (3/1) in the QuinnBet Beginners Chase over three miles. The Jet Away gelding had two hurdle victories and a bumper success in his locker, and made the breakthrough over fences here.

He raced prominently and led at the 10th fence. Kinturk Kalanisi strongly challenged him before the last, but Three Card Brag stayed on stoutly along the run-in to move two and three quarter lengths clear.

Elliott said: “I’m very happy with him. He’s a good horse on his day. He’s had a few niggly problems and just a few things didn’t work out for him.

“I imagine we will probably head straight on for an English National. I’m not saying he won’t (have a run before), but I might go there fresh.

“He’s a good staying horse and he’s always a good jumper.”

MARTIN Brassil’s James’s Gate (3/1) opened up a possible route to the Coral Cup at the Cheltenham Festival after he took the Race Displays Rated Novice Hurdle in the hands of Mark Walsh.

He travelled into contention after the penultimate obstacle and led before the last. He was far from fluent with the landing gear upon touching down, but rallied to win by three-parts of a length from C’est Ta Chance for owners Sean and Bernardine Mulryan.

Brassil said: “He did (rally well after the mistake at the last), he seemed to jump the hurdle perfectly but landed on his hind ones first, awkwardly. He jumped really well, it was the only hurdle that was any bit of a blip. We are very pleased with him. He’s a good traveller. He was a classy horse in his bumpers - third in a Cheltenham bumper and that was only his second run. He’s a horse with a bit of class. We might enter him for probably a Coral Cup or maybe even one of the novice races. We’ll see how he is.”

Tack debut

Spinningayarn (10/3) won a competitive Racing Again February 9th (Pro/Am) Flat Race by half a length under Harry Swan for Robcour.

The Ballyknock point-to-point winner was making his track debut and was one of a number of horses in with a chance in the final quarter of a mile. He battled home in the closing stages to beat 6/4 favourite Eachtotheirown.

“He’s a nice horse and he’s going to come on plenty from that,” Elliott said.

“I wouldn’t be shocked if he ended up going for a Cheltenham bumper. He’s definitely going to stay down the bumper route, there’s a lot of improvement in him.”

PHILLIP Enright earned the plaudits from Oliver McKiernan when Collaborative landed the Ardmulchan Handicap Hurdle at 6/1 for Keep The Faith Bloodstock Limited.

Enright produced him to lead over the last in this two-and-a-half-mile contest and he went on by two and a quarter lengths.

McKiernan said: “He has no real experience over hurdles and I didn’t think he finished too strong when third in Limerick over Christmas, but Phillip was stronger on him. He said over two and a half miles the horse would give a better account of himself today, and he was right.

“This race came up at a time that kind of suited, so that was it really. He is a good, big horse with lots of size and scope. If he stays sound, he should jump a fence some day.”

One Horse Army brought off a gamble (16/1 to 5/1) in the Gormanlough Handicap Steeplechase over three miles. He had Hunt Museum for company at the last, but outgunned that rival by two and a quarter lengths for jockey Aidan Kelly.

Owner/trainer Padraig Roche said: “He’s been hard to train, but today we thought we had him right. I’d say it was a weak race and he seems to have done it well. Hopefully, he pulls up alright. It is all about keeping him sound - he’s an eight-year-old and I think he is after having 12 runs.”