STORM Betty was an unwelcome visitor on the second day of the August Festival, with heavy rain and strong winds resulting in atrocious conditions for much of the evening.

It mattered little to Gordon Elliott and Jack Kennedy though, as they combined for a fine treble, with Salvador Ziggy the highlight in the opening EY Chase.

A smart performer over flights and successful on his chasing debut at Punchestown, the William and Aisling Hurley-owned seven-year-old was widely expected to follow-up, going off the clear favourite at 4/7.

Recording his seventh career success, the likeable bay got to the front three out and was pushed clear from the next, coming home 12-lengths ahead of his nearest rival.

“It was a good performance and Jack said the further he went, the better he got,” Elliott divulged.

“There is a novice chase for him at Killarney next week and after that he could be a horse for the Kerry National.”

A brilliant servant to connections, 10-time winner Darver Star, who finished third in the Champion Hurdle of 2020, was retired after pulling up in this extended two miles and five furlongs contest.

Sit tight

Kennedy had to sit tight to bring up the double on C’est Quelqu’un (11/8 favourite) in the Majestic Hotel Handicap Chase, with a blunder at the last almost proving costly.

While ironless on the run-in, the Co Kerry pilot managed to steer his mount home in front, seeing off the game effort of General Ryan, who was also far from fluent at the last, by a length and a quarter.

“Jack did well to stay on him and thank God it was Tramore fences and not big ones like at Fairyhouse,” Elliott remarked.“We bought him out of Sean Curran’s yard and it’s great to get a winner for Jim and Noeline Power (owners) at their local track.”

Like her stable companions before, Sea Aster also justified favouritism in the Celebrating The Life Of Mary Hearn Mares Maiden Hurdle.

With conditions worsening, the successful Yeats five-year-old came in for late support and went off a 2/1 chance (from 4s) in the colours of the Around The Fire Syndicate.

Pushed along to lead before two out, she needed to be ridden on the run-in to hold off the late effort of the well-backed Iriskana (6/1 from 25s early) by half-a-length.

“It has been a great day and Jack is riding out of his skin,” Elliott enthused.

“The owners are from Rathcore in Enfield, so they are all Na Fianna men. They are the opposition for me as I’m Summerhill. It’s a great win for them and I’m delighted.”

THE almost inevitable locally-trained winner came in the Tom Murphy Mercedes Benz Mares Handicap Hurdle, with Paul Kiely’s well-supported Inchiquin Star (9/1 from 20s early) doing the needful under Cian Quirke.

Previously in the care of David Marnane, the Mount Nelson four-year-old made her debut for Kiely in March and was placed for the sixth time at Tipperary in May.

In a tussle with First Dare from two out, the bay victor was quicker away from the last and soon edged to the front, coming home three-parts of a length to the good.

“That’s my first winner at Tramore and it’s nice to get one at my local track,” Dungarvan-based Kiely revealed. “Coming here I was fairly confident, but when the ground changed it was putting me off a bit. She is gutsy though and hopefully she’ll pick up another one.

“She is owned by Sean Harnedy, who is a great supporter of the yard. His son Seamus plays senior hurling for Cork.”

Come on Eileen

The hurling theme continued in the concluding I.P.R.S INH Flat Race, with Caman Eileen creating a favourable impression on debut under Patrick Mullins for his father Willie.

Owned by the Caman Racing Club, which is headed up by hurling luminaries Anthony Daly, Mark Landers and T.J. Ryan, the Gutaifan bay was sent off the clear market leader at 8/11.

Briefly pushed along in the dip, she soon closed on the leader and swept to the front from the furlong pole, going on to score easily by nine lengths.

“We were worried about the ground, but she handled it fine. She was very good and once I gave her a squeeze she took off, she has plenty of gears,” the winning rider explained.

“We might go for a blacktype bumper with her, possibly the one at Gowran towards the end of next month.”

JOSHUA Chamberlain provided Gerry Keane with his third success in little over a fortnight, as he made the breakthrough in the Assembly Tech Handicap Hurdle.

Turned out again quickly after finishing fifth at Ballinrobe the previous Monday, the Valirann six-year-old clearly revelled in the testing conditions and was sent off a well-supported 7/1 chance, having touched 16s early.

With the last flight omitted on all circuits due to deteriorating ground conditions, the Ricky Doyle-ridden victor led from two out and while briefly challenged from the final flight, he stretched clear when ridden on the long run-in, coming home seven lengths to the good.

“He is a horse that we’ve always liked but he has been frustrating, and it just took him a while to come to hand,” Keane reflected. “He is owned by James Robinson and my wife Esther, but he is for sale and he’ll be jumping a fence sooner rather than later as he is very good over them.”

Future chaser

Doctor Brown Bear is another whose future lies over the larger obstacles, with his rider J.J. Slevin commenting in the aftermath of his win in the Michael Griffin Auctioneers Maiden Hurdle: “I think he’ll be a smashing chaser over that sort of trip next year.”

Sent off favourite at 4/6, the Martin Brassil-trained five-year-old made all in this two-mile heat, scoring in the colours of Sean and Bernardine Mulryan.

Pressed from three out, the 119-rated bay went on again from the next and despite a slight mistake at the final flight, he came home three and a quarter lengths to the good.