Trainer Gordon Elliott took two Grade One wins on Saturday as part of a four-timer on the second day of the Leopardstown Christmas Festival, with jockey Sam Ewing also winning two of the major races.
Elliott trained Favorite The Champdou fought back under Ewing to beat stablemate Search for Glory and then win the Paddy Power Chase Skylight was busy had previously won the Novices Hurdle for Elliott, with Jack Kennedy the victorious jockey on that occasion.
Loneliness, ridden by Ewing, took victory for trainer Joseph O’Brien in the Club Chase Steeplechase in the day’s other Grade One race on the Irish course.
Solness (8-1) repeated his victory from 12 months ago in the same race, beating Marine Nationale (2-1) by half a length.
The two horses were locked in a thrilling four-way battle at the front as they jumped the final fence, with Ewing’s mount proving an effective front runner for trainer O’Brien.
In his first race of the season, the Barry Connell-trained Marine Nationale overcame the adversity of hitting the third of the eleven fences, with jockey Sean Flanagan doing well to stay in the saddle and then get his mount into contention during the run-up.
“He is tough as nails and loves racing at Leopardstown,” winning trainer O’Brien told RTE after the race.
Pre-race favorite Majborough (6-4) finished third.
Meanwhile, Skylight Hustle took full advantage after Talk The Talk fell at the final fence to achieve a success in the two-mile Novices Hurdle, with the fallen horse having landed too steeply and unable to keep his balance.
Kennedy had brought the eventual winner into contention in style, but his mount looked booked for second place as Joseph O’Brien’s challenger accelerated impressively to take a half-length lead heading into the last.
Ewing, who came on for concussion JJ Slevin, was on board Talk The Talk and so could have been in line for three notable victories in one day, having ridden Favori De Champou and Solness to victory.
Skylight Hustle, the 3-1 favourite, came home by five lengths over Carrigmoornaspruce (12-1), with Love Me Tender (4-1) in third.
“The horse traveled like a dream all the way and jumped like a buck,” Elliott told RTE after watching his horse Skylight Hustle pass the winning post.
“I thought when I watched it live that we were beaten, but when I watched the replay I wasn’t sure [with] the way my boy galloped from last to the line.
“Jack said when he came in, ‘I can’t guarantee I would have won, but I certainly wouldn’t have been beaten.’ He said he really liked the way he went from last to the line.
“It happened to us yesterday [when El Cairos fell when in front at the last] but that’s why it’s called jump racing.
“He is a good horse and I think he will continue to stay. I can imagine him coming back here for the Dublin Racing Festival.”
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