A day of shocks continued at the Fairyhouse Winter Festival as outsider of the field Croke Park pulled off a 22/1 upset under a tactically-excellent Sam Ewing ride in the Grade 1 Bar One Racing Drinmore Novice Chase.

Only five went to post for the €85,000 contest and it was a slowly-run affair. Ewing was in the right place, up on the lead, aboard Gordon Elliott and Gigginstown’s recent beginners’ chase winner.

Stablemate Firefox, a much better performer over hurdles than the winner, jumped well on the whole under Keith Donoghue (deputising for the injured Jack Kennedy) but he couldn’t quicken up well enough from behind despite appearing to be close enough if good enough over the two-and-a-half-mile trip.

Any of the five runners could have been considered possible winners at the landing side of the final fence, with the Henry de Bromhead pair, Heart Wood and especially Gorgeous Tom, rattling home with gusto in the closing stages.

Ewing had done enough on the £400,000 point-to-point recruit, however, and held Heart Wood by a neck, with Firefox another short-head away in third and Gorgeous Tom within half a length of them. Just over three quarters of a length separated the first four, while Shecouldbeanything was beaten less than five lengths overall in fifth.

“That was brilliant,” said Elliott. “Croke Park probably won an average enough beginners’ chase here the last day and I didn’t know if the form was good enough, but that’s why I run them in the races. Sometimes people say I shouldn’t run as many, but if you’re not in you can’t win and that’s what racing is about. This lad was 22-1.

“Sam gave him a great ride. There were four or five of them within a couple of lengths jumping the last; they went steady but it was a great race.”

Tactical race

On how he felt the race might unfold beforehand, he said: “I thought one of Henry’s would make it but I leave it to my riders. Our three horses ran great races. Firefox was only beaten a neck and a short head and Shecouldbeanything wasn’t beaten far. On another day, any of the horses could have won it.”

Some bookmakers reacted by cutting Croke Park to 20/1 (from 50/1) for the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham, while Firefox was eased out to as big as 14/1 (from 7/1) for the My Pension Expert Arkle.

On Firefox, Elliott added: “I’d imagine we’ll be dropping him back to two miles and using his stride. We probably tried to ride him for too much pace today. He didn’t run a bad race but got beaten and that’s racing. I wouldn't dismiss him yet.

“I think Croke Park could turn out at Leopardstown over Christmas. He’s been disappointing up until now, to be honest. He wasn’t cheap [at £400,000] but thankfully he’s got his Grade 1 now so we’re happy. Denis Murphy, who sold him to us, was on the phone straight after. They always ring when they win but not normally when they lose! He tries to put us right as often as he can.”

Some had expected Ewing to switch to ride Firefox once it became apparent that Kennedy would not be available to ride, but Donoghue was called into the fold instead.

Expanding on that decision, Elliott said: "Michael [O'Leary, owner of Croke Park] told me that Sam could switch if I wanted but I didn't think it was fair to take Sam off him. The owners have a lot of horses in my yard and you have to be fair to all owners. I just didn't feel it was the right thing to do. Sam might have been disappointed but that's the game we're in. It makes them all work a bit harder."