'Hopefully there is plenty more to come' - Gordon Elliott lands day-six feature again as Winning Smut looks the business

Jack Kennedy said he worried he had kicked for home too soon in the feature race, the €110,000 BoyleSports Handicap Hurdle, but in truth his rivals had no answer to the powerful turn of foot Winning Smut showed off the final turn, and not even a barge from longtime leader Fascile Mode turning in was enough to stop the six-year-old from making a mockery of his lowly mark of 122. 

Gordon Elliott was winning the race for the second year in a row, and if Winning Smut can show the same level of improvement as last year’s winner The Wallpark then he will go a long way.

Kennedy settled his mount in the perfect position throughout, hugging the inside rail, and the 13-2 joint-favourite won in a style that suggests he won’t be long in winning more contests, with two and a quarter lengths back to Fascile Mode.

Winning Smut won in the colours of Elliott's long-time supporter Denis Reddan, with the occasion even more joyous given the fact he also bred the horse.

Lisa O’Neill, stable representative of Cullentra House, said: “Jack gave him a beautiful ride. We didn’t know how good he was coming into this, but he scraped in at the bottom, and having a featherweight on your back around here in those competitive handicaps helps. 

“Jack said he probably got there a little too soon, but he toughed it out really well in the end.

“It's great for the owners; they have been in racing for a long time. It means so much to them. Hopefully there is plenty more to come for something like Listowel. He looks a strong stayer."

The other favourite in the race, the Willie Mullins-trained Maughreen, was found to be lame post-race. It was subsequently announced by owners the Closutton Racing Club that she had suffered a career-ending injury.

Big win for The Lads

The Lads Partnership owe jockey Eoin Staples all the credit following his composed performance aboard 2m1f Tribes Handicap Hurdle winner Come On The Lads. 

After missing the first hurdle and briefly losing an iron, the rider found himself much further back than had been planned. However, he didn’t panic and slowly crept back into the race. 

Staples still had a wall of horses in front of him jumping the second-last, but he lifted the 22-1 shot home to deny Donagh Meyler and Toll Stone by a head.

Winning trainer Gavin Cromwell said: “Eoin gave him a great ride. He didn’t panic and got him to go to sleep out the back. It didn’t look likely but he got there. 

"I have no idea where this lad will go next, but Listowel would look like the most obvious place.”

Come On The Lads (Eoin Staples) wins the 2m handicap hurdleCredit: Patrick McCann

Slattery's week to remember

Andy Slattery is having a week to remember, and it got even better for him in the opening race when Ebony King won the 2m1f maiden hurdle under rider Cian Quirke.

Punters showed little love for any horse in the race bar Willie Mullins’ hurdles debutante Night Moon, who was sent off the 11-10 favourite, but the 100,000gns purchase could trail in only seventh behind Slattery’s five-year-old, who won at odds of 9-1. 

It was a striking performance from Ebony King as he led from pillar to post and pulled clear with Tatateo in the home straight, leaving 17 lengths back to Pistocchi in third.

Slattery said: “Cian just came in and said he's a fair horse. We're only half-training him because he's so light and weak. We don’t know how good he is. 

"Instead of training him, he's done a lot of jumping and it seemed to pay off with him there.”

Mullins continues good record

The 2m1f mares' bumper is a race that Willie Mullins has traditionally depended on, having won four of the previous five runnings, and the well-backed Some Pretender didn’t let the Closutton record down this time by staying on nicely to win by three-quarters of a length under Patrick Mullins at even money.

The winning trainer said: “We were happy enough coming here that she was good enough and did what we hoped she would. We might think about a Listed bumper for her, maybe in Gowran or Navan. I think there could be improvement in her on softer ground.”

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