Riding days giving Gordon Elliott an edge as he looks for next superstars

American Mike created a big impression when winning at Down Royal on Saturday and is one of a long list of point-to-point graduates Gordon Elliott has after his strong presence at point-to-point sales in recent seasons.

Beyond training those graduates, simply selecting the cream is an art in itself, although at Rathcannon last Sunday, Elliott may well have had a competitive advantage over other trainers in assessing the winners.

The opening four-year-old maiden was won by Johnnywho, for Ellmarie Holden, and is out of Gerry Keane’s former top mare Howaya Pet, whom Elliott steered to victory in three point-to-points and a bumper.