Irish Point initiates treble for red-hot Gordon Elliott and Davy Russell

Sunday: Cork

Gordon Elliott followed up his four-timer at Punchestown on Saturday with a treble at Cork from just four runners and continued his red-hot partnership with Davy Russell.

Potentially his most exciting runner of the day came in the opening four-year-old 2m maiden hurdle when the Robcour-owned Irish Point faced a simple task against vastly inferior rivals.

He duly won in workmanlike fashion with some inexperienced jumping, but showed a glimpse of what might be under the bonnet as he quickened clear between the final two hurdles to put the matter beyond doubt in a matter of strides.

A winner of a Grade 1 AQPS bumper in France when last seen a year ago, the son of Joshua Tree holds an entry in the Grade 1 Royal Bond Novice Hurdle in two weeks.

Elliott's assistant Lisa O'Neill said: "He's a really nice horse and did that very well. He had form on heavy ground in France and you would have to like what he did there today.

"There is plenty to improve on and it's his first run for a while, it's also his first run over hurdles. He will improve for it mentally and physically."

Sponsor Sky Bet introduced him at 25-1 for the Supreme Novices' Hurdle, while Paddy Power went the same price (from 40) for the Ballymore and cut him to 16-1 (from 25) for the Supreme.

Elliott's recent Galway runner-up Itswhatunitesus was cut to 33-1 (from 40) for the Supreme Novices' Hurdle by Paddy Power as he held off the challenge of well-supported favourite Embassy Gardens in the 2m maiden hurdle.

The Elliott and Russell treble was completed in style by the Philip Reynolds-owned Riaan, who lost his maiden tag readily in the 2m4f handicap hurdle.

Tyner not going away just yet

Kinsale trainer Robert Tyner announced his retirement earlier in the year, but he has kept going for the time being and landed the valuable 2m½f handicap chase.

The imposing son of Sholokhov just held off topweight and favourite Embittered under Phillip Enright to win by a head.

"We're just keeping going at the moment with about 12 horses and some of those are point-to-pointers," said Tyner.

"We just decided to play away with what we have and I wouldn't be sure how long we'll stay going, but we'll keep going with small numbers."

Results, replays and analysis

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