Anytime Now comes home an easy winner under Jamie Codd© Photo Healy Racing
Anytime Now got off the mark on his third start, as he ran out an easy winner of the last at Kilbeggan, the Book Online For Discounts Flat Race.
Beaten a head into second on his debut over the course and distance in June, he was again second on his next start at Downpatrick, going down by three parts of a length to subsequent Galway Festival winner Exchange Rate.
Sent off the 4/7 favourite this evening, the Gordon Elliott trained son of Beneficial raced in third in the early stages, improving a place into second with a circuit left to race.
He made further progress to press the front-running Itsonlyrocknroll with five furlongs left to go, hitting the front three furlongs out, before going on to score easily by twenty-seven lengths.
The aforementioned Itsonlyrocknroll had no answer once headed, and he had to settle for second under Patrick Mullins for his father Willie at 2/1.
The John 'Shark' Hanlon trained Shankill Castle (12/1) completed the placings another eight and a half lengths back in third under Michael Molloy.
"He's a nice honest horse and he'll win plenty of races. Jumping is really his game and he's not really a bumper horse," said Elliott.
"Over two-and-a-half-miles with a jump in front of him he'll definitely pay his way.
"We thought going to Downpatrick that we'd win and we were disappointed coming out of it but then you see what Willie's horse did down in Galway.
"He's a good honest horse and he's a galloper. He's probably not a horse for the real depths of winter, in December, January, February, but he'll tip away up until then over hurdles."
STEWARDS REPORT
The Stewards fined John Joseph Hanlon, trainer, E350 for lodging a passport in respect of Shankill Castle (GB), in which the vaccinations did not conform with the provisions of Rule 91. The Stewards allowed the horse to run on receipt of the trainer's written assurance that the vaccinations were in order.
Additional reporting by Gary Carson
