Four-year-olds make grade as Elegant Escape takes fast track

THE past week has provided further evidence of just how competitive Irish four-year-old maidens have become as the first and second home in the four-year-old maiden at Monksgrange last year captured Graded races.

Colin Bowe’s Samcro had come out on top by a length over Elegant Escape in April 2016, and was the first of the pair to achieve Graded success, setting the world alight in the Grade 3 Monksfield Novices’ Hurdle at Navan.

Six days later Elegant Escape won his third race under rules for Colin Tizzard in the Grade 2 John Francome Novices’ Chase at Newbury.