Elliott to unleash six-figure sales recruits in concluding Fairyhouse bumper

Gordon Elliott will saddle two exciting newcomers and six-figure sales graduates in the concluding Willie Elliott Memorial INH Flat Race at Fairyhouse on Saturday, including the Gigginstown-owned Stellar Story.

The five-year-old son of Shantou was offered by Donnchadh Doyle's Monbeg Stables at the Tattersalls Cheltenham Festival Sale in March and duly sold to Elliott for £310,000, having made €60,000 to Doyle from Hobby Horse Stud at the 2020 Goffs Land Rover Sale.

In between those two auctions Stellar Story had readily won his second point-to-point at Castlelands under Rob James, making amends for his unseat at the second fence at Kildorrery the month before.

Stellar Story has the pedigree to match as a full-brother to The Storyteller, the winner of 11 races for Elliott including the Grade 1 Champion Chase at Down Royal and the Grade 1 Champion Novice Chase at Punchestown. The pair, out of the winning hurdler Bally Bolshoi, are also full-siblings to three-time winning hurdler Alfie's Choice and half-brothers to two further winners.

After his sale at Cheltenham in March, Elliott said: "He looked a nice horse and we've been lucky with the brother. He's a proper staying chaser and is a horse for next year."

Shannon Royale: second of three debutants for Elliott at FairyhouseCredit: Laura Green

The second of Elliott's three runners in the race is Shannon Royale, a son of Walk In The Park who will sport the silks of Robcour. Bred by Vambeck Bloodstock, the four-year-old is a graduate of the Tattersalls Cheltenham February Sale having made £300,000 to Mags O'Toole from Denis Murphy's Ballyboy Stables.

Shannon Royale was second on his sole point at Comea in February and before that was a €90,000 graduate of the 2018 Goffs November Foal Sale when selling to Patrick McCann from Ballincurrig House Stud. He then sold to Ballyboy Stables for €100,000 at last year's Land Rover Sale.

The tenth foal out of the bumper-winning Topanoora mare Shannon Rose, the gelding is a half-brother to five winners including Grade 3-winning hurdler Minella Foru, the useful chaser and Listed Badger Ales second Sumkindofking and six-time scorer Penny Jane.

Completing Elliott's trio is Doctor Bravo, a son of Doctor Dino and a €55,000 Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale graduate who will run in the colours of Caldwell Construction.

Willie Mullins is represented by Nick Rockett, a son of Walk In The Park who won his point at Curraghmore for Pat Doyle in October last year. He is out of an unraced Flemensfirth full-sister to Grade 3-winning chaser Emily Gray and the Grade 3-placed hurdler Pride Ofthe Parish.

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