IT can be hard to know just what to expect from beaten Cheltenham Festival runners turning out again the same spring, but Gordon Elliott overcame that challenge without issue in pulling off a Grade 2 double at Fairyhouse with Maxxum and Found A Fifty.

The rapidfire brace was kicked off with a win for the most admirable Maxxum in the Rathbarry & Glenview Studs Hurdle, adding the Fairyhouse Easter Festival as his latest marquee meeting to succeed at (previously a winner at Leopardstown Christmas, Dublin Racing and Punchestown Festivals).

Danny Gilligan appeared to get the fractions just right on the front end aboard this season’s Boyne Hurdle winner, who gave weight to all rivals as a result of a 5lb penalty for that Navan victory, and the 14/1 shot showed a terrific attitude to repel the challenge of 15/8 market leader Gala Marceau by three quarters of a length.

The Patrick Rabbitt-owned homebred was pulled up on his previous start in the Coral Cup at Cheltenham.

“Danny is top class and gave the horse a beautiful ride,” said Elliott.

“He missed the third last, but other than that it was poetry in motion. He's a lovely, quiet rider and he suits this horse very well. In fairness, it just didn't happen for him in the Coral Cup when he was slow away at the start - we just put a line through that run.

“He was good here today. Where we go with him, I don't know. He could be a horse to go to France if there’s a suitable race, he's nearly better in a smaller field than in a big handicap. We'll have a look and see.”

Fifty on form

Sam Ewing ensured a good spread of winners for the Elliott stable jockeys when getting the maximum from Found A Fifty in the Jack McInerney Memorial Fairyhouse Chase, leaving a 25-length defeat in the Champion Chase well behind for owners Bective Stud.

With 7/4 favourite Heart Wood failing to fire on his first start since finishing second in the Ryanair Chase and Blood Destiny unable to land a telling blow from off the pace, this €100,000 contest was blown wide apart and the highest-rated runner in the field fought off Saint Sam by three quarters of a length.

“It was a good performance and I’d say these Grade 2 and Grade 3 races are probably what suit him better than running in Grade 1s,” said Elliott.

“That trip, just shy of two and a half miles, probably suited him today too. He didn’t do much when he got there, even though he won well. He jumped great. In fairness to Noel and Valerie Moran, they let us take our time with him and it work out today.”

On the form of his string after a blacktype double, Elliott added: “I wouldn’t say the horses weren’t in form around Cheltenham and coming into Aintree - I’d say we were just having too many seconds and thirds. That has been the story of my life this season!

“We have had a great season again, we’ve had over 150 winners trained. That’s the game we are in. You’ve got to keep upping your game and keep trying to win, not sitting back on my laurels. I know I’m having more seconds and thirds than anyone, you needn’t worry!”

Bookies left feeling Blue

What might Willie Mullins’ juveniles do next? Having already executed a phenomenal piece of training this spring by winning the Triumph Hurdle with a horse who had never jumped a hurdle in public, he entered further unprecedented territory when landing a Grade 2 with Blue Lemons - a son of star sprinting stallion Blue Point.

The ex-Richard Hannon-trained gelding wouldn’t have leaped off the page as a four-year-old hurdler in the making when down the field on his last flat start in the Britannia Stakes, but Mullins had him in fine shape to collect in the Grade 2 O'Driscoll's Irish Whiskey Juvenile Hurdle under Paul Townend.

Sullivan Group Limited and Merriebelle Irish Farm Limited’s 2/1 winning favourite was bouncing back from being pulled up in the Triumph Hurdle last time, pulling seven lengths clear of It’s Bilbo.

Assistant trainer David Casey said: “It was obviously a big step down from the Triumph. Paul said they went quick and it suited the way he rode him. He was a bit sticky early jumping, but he said he handled the ground well and he came through it at the end and he won well.

"He had that bit of flat pace and Paul said that suited him because they went quick and they got a little bit tired in front; he was able to use his pace at the end. He's entered at Punchestown and he'll probably run, I suppose. He may as well at this stage.

"Not too many Blue Point's jump hurdles! We'll see where he can end up and he always has the option of going back on the flat as well during the summer."

Cool Kingdom

Despite obliging by just a length and a half, one of the smoothest winners of the entire Easter weekend came in the two-mile Fairyhouse Foods Novice Handicap Hurdle when Last Kingdom sliced through the field with ease under Mark Walsh to break his duck over hurdles.

An unexposed four-year-old, who joined Willie Mullins and J.P. McManus after a French bumper win on debut, the easy-to-back 10/1 shot left behind his maiden hurdle form to bring his form to a new level on handicap debut.

“Mark felt he has grown up a little bit since he rode him the last day and the race went okay for him,” said Casey.

“He jumped well, missed the last a little bit but travelled away and won smoothly. He was happy on the ground, I think. He might make into a Lartigue Hurdle horse down the line, or something along those lines. He's only four. There's no real long-term plan with him."