A huge day for Kerry jockey Gavin Brouder who won the most valuable race of his career in Ireland after he won the Troytown Chase for Gordon Elliott.
A big day too for Tipperary pair Liam Quinlan and trainer Ray Hackett who combined to win the 45k euro handicap hurdle.
With the details here's Dave Keena
Gavin Brouder
As is so often the case at his local racecourse, Gordon Elliott dominated across both days of the Navan Racing Festival over the weekend. He won eight of the 16 races on offer and his success was highlighted by the victory of Gavin Brouder-ridden Stuzzikini in the Bar One Racing Troytown Handicap Chase on Sunday. Elsewhere, Jack Kennedy won five races over the two days for the high-flying trainer.
With Brouder standing in for the sidelined Danny Gilligan, the 20/1 shot, one of Elliott’s nine runners in the race, closed on the leaders at the fourth-last fence and led after the last to win by two and a half lengths from the John Ryan-trained 22/1 shot Lucid Dreams. Elliott had earlier scored with Jack Kennedy’s mount The Yellow Clay in the Grade 3 John Lynch Carpets & Flooring Monksfield Novice Hurdle. Owned by Bective Stud, the 8/11 favourite scored a most taking success when trouncing Willie Mullins’ 4/1 chance Where’s My Jet by 10 lengths. Another in the Bective Stud colours, Better Days Ahead won the Race And Stay Beginners Chase, Elliott’s eight winner of the weekend and a fifth for Kennedy. The 2/1 chance made all the running and comfortably saw off Henry de Bromhead’s Slade Steel, the 1/2 favourite, by four lengths. Gavin Cromwell and Keith Donoghue had made a winning start to the day as the Brendan Rogers-trained Total Look scored in the Bar One Racing Three-Year-Old Maiden Hurdle. The 11/4 favourite led approaching the final hurdle and battled well to beat Joseph O'Brien’s Beyond Your Dreams by half a length.
At Navan on Saturday, Elliott saddled five of the eight winners, beginning with the Jack Kennedy-ridden Wingmen in the opening Kilberry Pub & Kitchen Maiden Hurdle over two and a half miles. The Bective Stud-owned 8/15 favourite made all the running to beat Henry de Bromhead’s 7/4 chance Forty Coats by an easy three lengths. Kennedy was also in the saddle as 4/6 favourite Blue De Vassy, owned by Gigginstown House Stud, took the Grade 3 Bar One Racing For Auction Novice Hurdle in fine style. Leading at the second-last hurdle, he eased clear to beat Joseph O'Brien’s 8/1 chance Mt Percy by five lengths. Kennedy completed a treble with taking the Grade 2 Bar One Racing on the promising Found A Fifty, another owned by Bective Stud. The 11/8 favourite jumped to his right at the final fence but he picked up well to deny O’Brien’s 12/1 chance Solness by a neck with the runner-up in receipt of 7lbs. The beginners' chase went the way of the Mark Walsh-ridden Down Memory Lane, Elliott’s fourth winner of the day. The JP McManus-owned 7/1 shot made all the running and went clear from the final fence to win by seven lengths from his own stable companion, the Kennedy-ridden 6/4 favourite King Of Kingsfield. Harry Swan gave Elliott his fifth winner of the day when taking the concluding bumper on the Gigginstown House Stud-owned Whinney Hill. A strong 6/4 favourite, he scored by a very comfortable three and a half lengths from Ross O'Sullivan’s 17/2 shot Strong Link. Alex Harvey and County Waterford trainer John Flavin won the Hotel Park St Johann In Tirol Austria Handicap Hurdle with the seven-year-old Clarens. Owned by the Miracle Racing Syndicate, the 9/1 chance, runner-up in the same race 12 months ago, battled well to beat the Gavin Cromwell-trained 13/2 shot Tongaghneave Well by half a length with Barry Connell’s front-running 3/1 favourite Hashtag Pretender a head away in third place.
Upcoming Fixtures
Limerick – Tuesday, November 19 (First race 12.15pm)
Dundalk – Wednesday, November 20 (First race 1.15pm)
Thurles – Thursday, November 21 (First race 12.35pm)
Tipperary – Friday, November 22 (First race 12.35pm)
Dundalk – Friday, November 22 (First race 5.30pm)
Punchestown – Saturday, November 23 (First race 11.30am)
Punchestown – Sunday, November 24 (First race 11.35am)
Cork – Sunday, November 24 (First race 12.20pm)
