On Saturday, the second day of the Christmas Festival in Leopardstown, trainer Gordon Elliott claimed two Grade One victories as part of a four-timer, with Sam Ewing also taking home two of the major stakes.
After Skylight Hustle had earlier won the Novices Hurdle for Elliott, with Jack Kennedy serving as the winning jockey, Favori De Champdou, Favori De Champdou, and Ewing’s trained Favori de Champdou defeated stablemate Search for Glory in a decisive victory over the winner.
In the other Grade One race of the day over the Irish course, Solness, who was ridden by Ewing, won for trainer Joseph O’Brien.
Solness (8-1) defeated Marine Nationale (2-1) by half a length to claim the same race that he won 12 months prior.
As the two horses jumped the final fence in a thrilling four-way battle, Ewing’s mount coming out on top for trainer O’Brien.
The jockey Sean Flanagan did well to stay in the saddle before winning the race on the first try before the run-in, but Barry Connell-trained Marine Nationale had to suffer the setback of hitting the third of the eleven fences.
After the race, winning trainer O’Brien told RTE, “He’s tough as nails and he loves racing at Leopardstown.”
Majborough, a favorite for the pre-race, came in third (4-4).
After Talk The Talk fell at the final fence, Skylight Hustle, a fallen horse, who had landed too far and couldn’t keep his balance, won the two-mile Novices Hurdle.
Kennedy had stylishly positioned the eventual winner, but Joseph O’Brien’s challenger quickly jumped ahead by half a length going to the last to take the lead.
With Favori De Champou and Solness leading, Ewing, who took the place of the concussed JJ Slevin, was on board Talk The Talk, which would have allowed him to record three Grade One victories in a single day.
With five lengths to spare, Carrigmoornaspruce (12-1) and Love Me Tender (4-1) finished third, Skylight Hustle, the 3-1 favorite.
After watching his horse Skylight Hustle pass the winning post, Elliott told RTE, “The horse travelled like a dream the entire way and jumped like a buck.”
I initially believed that the team was defeated when I watched the re-run, but I wasn’t sure about how my lad galloped from the last to the line.
When Jack arrived, he said, “I can’t guarantee I would have won, but I wasn’t definitely beat.” He claimed that the transition from the last to the last line was very enjoyable.
El Cairos fell in front of the final, which is why it’s called jump racing, but it happened yesterday.
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