Gordon Elliott enjoyed a fine day at Navan when Found A Fifty fought on bravely to land the Grade 2 Bar One Racing Fortria Chase on Saturday.
Gordon Elliott continued his excellent start to the season when Found A Fifty completed the third leg of a five-timer for the trainer at Navan.
After only finding Gaelic Warrior too strong in the Arkle Challenge Trophy at the Cheltenham Festival last season, Found A Fifty claimed his second Grade 1 prize when rallying gamely in the My Pension Expert Maghull Novices' Chase at Aintree a month later.
Gordon Elliott's contender was sent off the 11/8 market leader on the back of his smooth reappearance success in Grade 2 company at Down Royal earlier this month, but as Found A Fifty continued to jump right-handed throughout, victory didn't look likely for much of the contest.
After being held up in the early stages, the seven-year-old moved to the front with a good jump at the second last under Jack Kennedy and victory appeared to be firmly in his grasp as the pair approached the final flight. However, another sluggish right-handed leap stumped his momentum, allowing Solness to renew his challenge up the Navan run-in. Joseph O'Brien's charge continued to attempt to bridge the gap, but under an all-action Jack Kennedy, Found A Fifty found plenty for pressure and went on to score by a diminishing neck.
Wingspan kicked off the Elliott winning sequence when making a successful hurdling debut by three lengths. The Bective Stud-owned six-year-old didn't always jump with fluency but once given the office by Jack Kennedy he asserted up the run in to score from Henry de Bromhead's Forty Coats.
Elliott told Racing TV: "It was a good performance because he went a little bit right the whole way,"
"Jack said when he let him on a bit, he was better, and he was half-idling in the home straight.
"He's a smart horse, so we'll see where we go. Maybe he will go the other way around.
"He's a big chasing horse, he's a horse for next year really.
"He has (a fair engine) and they pulled well clear of the third. He (Kennedy) said he won snug."
The Elliott and Kennedy combination was once again in the Navan winners' enclosure when Bleu De Vassy proved by far the best in the Grade 3 Bar One Racing For Auction Novice Hurdle. A whopping 25-length winner of his hurdling debut at Fairyhouse, Gordon Elliott's 4/6 favourite always looked to have matters under control as he put in a polished round of jumping to remain unbeaten over hurdles.
Speaking of the five-length scorer, Elliott said: "I was impressed with him in Fairyhouse, but we weren't sure how good a race it was. You have to be impressed with what he did there."
"Jack said he didn't mind that ground. We were running him last year on heavy ground and I couldn't understand why he was getting beaten.
"I was disappointed in a few bumpers last year. Maybe he doesn't want it as soft as that.
"I'd say he is a good horse, and he looks nice. He travels with a lot of pace."
Down Memory Lane made up for lost time when returning from a lengthy absence to land the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Beginners Chase under Mark Walsh. The JP McManus-owned was making his chasing debut after finishing a well-beaten third in the Grade 1 Paddy Power Future Champions Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown in December 2023.
Whinney Hill ensured Gordon Elliott would cap off the day in tremendous style when going one spot better than he could manage at Punchestown in the Bar One Racing 'Guaranteed Overnight Prices' Flat Race.
Home By The Lee regains Lismullen Hurdle
Joseph O'Brien's Home By The Lee ensured he would regain the Grade 2 Railway Bar Lismullen Hurdle at Navan when exacting his revenge on Henry de Bromhead's Bob Olinger, who was sent off the 11/8 favourite to make a winning reappearance under Darragh O'Keefe.
Home By The Lee got the better of Bob Olinger by two lengths to claim the 2022 renewal, but the latter bounced back to take the title twelve months later. The pair once again set down to do battle up the running and although Bob Olinger looked to be travelling best approaching the final hurdle, he couldn't find what was required to overhaul the hardy Home By The Lee, who went on to regain his crown by three and a half lengths under Danny Mullins.
Of the 7/1 winner, Joseph O'Brien said: "He ran well in the race the last couple of years and he was a good bit better off at the weights this year,"
"It is very much his first run of the year, but I thought he really went through the race well and jumped well. Danny was impressed with him. I couldn't be happier.
"We always keep him fresh, so we will wait for Christmas (Hurdle, Leopardstown) now and then he will go from Christmas to Cheltenham. His path kind of plots itself."
