Quick compensation for Elliott as Creadan Grace wins in photo Having looked set for a 1-2 in the opening race before disaster struck at the final flight, trainer Gordon Elliott gained some measure of compensation as Creadan Grace stayed on best under James Smith to land the Lough Construction Ltd. Handicap Hurdle at Down Royal. Stepping up to three miles for the first time, the 12/1 chance raced prominently before coming under pressure after three out. Pushed along in third after the penultimate flight, the five-year-old picked up strongly from the back of the last, getting up close home to beat Fill The Tank a short head. Gordon Elliott said: "I'd say three miles definitely suited, very tough and stayed galloping. "It is great. "James is a good rider and is strong there off 10-10, so I'm delighted for him. "He is riding out more in the winter there, so we will try and give him a chance if we can." On the first race, he said: "We knew we had the horses in good form coming up here. "That's horse racing, you have to jump to win. Some days it works for us, some days it doesn't. "Once both horses and jockeys are okay, that is all that matters." On Theflyingking, he added: "We'll get him home see how he is (in terms of going to Navan). He was going to win well there today, so we'll see how he is. "He jumped brilliant, he just stepped at it. "I was hoping that wasn't going to be the luck for the week, but thank God we are after getting a winner straight away." Additional reporting by Michael Graham.
