Floueur clips the last but is well clear© Photo Healy Racing
Floueur brought up plenty of bets in the featured Jim Strang & Sons Kilsheelan Hurdle over three miles at Clonmel.
He halved in price this morning to 6/1 and was returned at 5/1 for this staying test. The French-bred gelding brought up a Clonmel double for Gordon Elliott and an across-the-card treble as Poseidon scored for the stable in Taunton.
The seven-year-old sported first-time blinkers and raced in touch before taking closer order at the third last.
He travelled strongly for Davy Russell to lead on the long approach to the second last and moved clear jumping it.
From there, he won as he pleased by 14 lengths despite clipping the last hurdle. Diol Ker came in a remote second at 3/1.
Russell said: "He went well, jumped great and loved the ground, obviously, and the distance. He ran in the Munster National the last day and made a mistake up the back, and in handicap chases, you can’t do that. Gordon, wisely, brought him back over hurdles and he seemed to enjoy it here today.
“It could have been a combination of things: blinkers, heavy, testing conditions and three miles. The race and the conditions suited. We didn’t have that much opposition, and he was able to hold his place quite easily through the race. All those things combined helped him, but I think all the credit should go to the trainer - that would be the common denominator.
“He’s a very big, scopey horse, a gorgeous horse, but his feet and his brain don’t always work together. Today was comfortable, and I was allowed to get him into that rhythm, so it was perfect.
“Maybe if there was a similar conditions’ chase, it would suit him.”
Additional reporting by Tom Weekes
