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Elliott doubles up with Zeal

Utmost Zeal hits the front as they turn for homeUtmost Zeal hits the front as they turn for home
© Photo Healy Racing

The hotpot just got home in the bumper at Punchestown as Utmost Zeal narrowly held the late charge of Beau Et Sublime

The Gordon Elliott-trained Utmost Zeal was sent off 4/11 to give his trainer a double following the feature event success of Don Cossack in the same Gigginstown colours.

Nina Carberry tracked the leaders before sending her mount on turning for home in the two-miler.

Beau Et Sublime stayed on to press the favourite inside the final furlong, however, and the line just came too soon as he was denied by a head.

The winner had been very unlucky on his sole point-to-point start last February, having fallen at the last when well clear.

“I know he's won but I think he's a better horse than that,” said Elliott afterwards.

“It was a very messy race and Nina said it was very start-stop. He'll be better with a faster gallop.

“He'll probably go jumping now but he wouldn't want really heavy ground.”

(Additional reporting by Alan Magee)

About Gary Carson
Gary started out as a trainee/assistant journalist with the Sporting Life newspaper and has worked in the racing industry for over 25 years. He has been with the Press Association since 2013 and won the Irish Field Nap Table in 2016. He enjoys working with horses and trained his own horse, Mamaslittlestar, to win a point-to-point in 2019.