Jack Kennedy brought his tally to three winners over the two-day Navan Racing Festival with a double at the rearranged fixture at Navan on Monday. What was due to be the opening day of the Navan Racing Festival was delayed by 48 hours but there was a familiar look to the results with Gordon Elliott once again dominating as he added to his treble at the course a day earlier when saddling three more winners. The highlight of the day was the repeat success of the Bective Stud-owned 5/2 chance Found A Fifty in the Grade 2 Bar One Racing Fortria Chase. The Kennedy-ridden eight-year-old brought his career tally to eight wins when getting the better Willie Mullins’ mistake prone 11/8 favourite Dinoblue by a comfortable five lengths, a far more comfortable success than his narrow win over Joseph O’Brien’s Solness in the race last year. Elliott and his stable jockey had earlier landed the opening two and a half-mile Kilberry Pub & Kitchen Maiden Hurdle with Gigginstown House Stud’s five-year-old Classical Creek. A strong 4/9 favourite, he made all the running and asserted before the final hurdle to beat Willie Mullins’ 4/1 shot Fillyoureye by eight lengths. A winner on the Ian Donoghue-trained St Denis’s Well at the course a day earlier, James Smith was back in the winners’ enclosure as he won the two and a half-mile handicap hurdle on the Elliott-trained Themanintheboots. A 10/1 chance in the colours of the Kelly Family Syndicate, the seven-year-old made much of the running and skipped clear on the run to the final hurdle to win by all of seven lengths from Philip Dempsey’s 12/1 chance Clonbury Bridge, the middle leg of the Elliott treble.
Jack Kennedy added three more winners to his season’s tally at Punchestown on Saturday. Gordon Elliott also enjoyed another rewarding day with winners on both sides of the Irish Sea. A winner with the Danny Gilligan-ridden Wodhooh at Ascot, Elliott saddled four winners at Punchestown with Jack Kennedy and Josh Halford sharing in his success. Kennedy won the two-mile three-furlong maiden hurdle on the Robcour-owned Santo Sospir to set the ball rolling. The strong 11/8 favourite led on the run to the final hurdle to beat the Edward and Partick Harty-trained 18/1 chance Barley Lane by a length. At odds of 12/1, the David l’Estrange-owned Dee Capo won the two-mile five-furlong handicap chase to give Elliott and Kennedy their second win. The six-year-old registered his fifth success when racing to a cosy four and a quarter-length victory over Willie Mullins’ 100/30 chance High Class Hero. Son Of Anarchy, owned by JP McManus, was their third winner when taking the two-mile three-furlong handicap hurdle in clearcut fashion. The 7/1 shot led before the final hurdle and raced away for a seven and a half-length win over 9/2 chance Rakki, another ridden by Paul Townend for Willie Mullins. Josh Halford had to work harder for his success on the Gigginstown House Stud-owned Ballyfad in the concluding bumper. A well-supported 10/11 favourite, the four-year-old scored in a very similar manner to the stable’s Fairyhouse winner Unflinching as he too had to dig deep to beat Charles Byrnes’ 11/4 chance Rojuco Mac by half a length with Maike Magussen’s 33/1 shot Tountinna taking third place having led inside the final furlong.
The Jack Kennedy-ridden Kala Conti easily landed the two-mile five-furlong mares’ beginners’ chase for Gordon Elliott at Cork on Sunday. The Robcour-owned five-year-old headed Paul Nolan’s 22/1 shot Farfromnowhere at the final fence and went away to win by nine and a half lengths with Willie Mullins’ 2/7 favourite Jade De Grugy six lengths away in third place. It was Kennedy’s sixth winner of the week.
Upcoming Fixtures
Tramore – Tuesday, November 25 (First race 12.05pm)
Dundalk – Wednesday, November 26 (First race 2.18pm)
Thurles – Thursday, November 27 (First race 12.17pm)
Dundalk – Friday, November 28 (First race 5.25pm)
Fairyhouse – Saturday, November 29 (First race 11.36am)
Fairyhouse – Sunday, November 30 (First race 12.05pm)
