Elliott lords it in Plate
GORDON Elliott is setting a scorching pace in the National Hunt trainers’ championship and his prospects of breaking Willie Mullins’ long stranglehold on the title were given a massive lift in the featured Tote sponsored Galway Plate at Ballybrit on Wednesday.
The Meath-based handler was landing the feature event for the first time when 10/1 chance Lord Scoundrel, under 5lb claimer Donagh Meyler, stayed on best of all under the stand rail in a driving finish to deny a trio of Mullins contenders.
A decent novice last season, Lord Scoundrel was one of a remarkable nine Gigginstown runners in the €220,000 contest, with Devils Bride and Clarcam faring the best of the rest in fourth and fifth place respectively.
Clarcam was also trained by Elliott, who was gaining some compensation in Galway for a series of near misses in the festival’s other highlight, the Guinness Hurdle, over the past few years.
Winning jockey Meyler, a native of Kilkenny, said Lord Scoundrel was always travelling well. “His jumping was great and he winged the second last. He ran off the final bend a bit but pulled out plenty when meeting the rising ground.”
With the heavily supported favourite Road To Riches paying the price for some sloppy jumping and eventually pulled up, Ballycasey and Ruby Walsh led the field into the dip and still held every chance heading into the straight.
But the challengers were queueing up, including Clarcam, Alechi Anois, Shantou Flyer, Devils Bride and Lord Scoundrel. They were spread right across the track but it was Meyler’s mount which found most to land the Plate by one and a quarter-lengths from the gallant Alechi Inois.
Elliott was thrilled with his first victory in one of Ireland’s richest chases. “Donagh gave him a good ride and he was a good novice last year. This was the plan for a long time and the horse had done us proud.”
For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.