Mighty Potter and Davy Russell win the Ladbrokes Novice Steeplechase Grade 1 © Photo Healy Racing
Davy Russell was back in the Grade 1 winners enclosure for the first time since coming out of retirement, when the Gordon Elliott trained Mighty Potter ran out an emphatic winner of the Ladbrokes Novice Chase on day two of the Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown.
Jumping well, aside from a couple of novicey errors, the Caldwell Construction owned gelding led two out and quickened clear of his five rivals off the home bend to put daylight between them in the straight.
A smart novice hurdler last term, the six-year-old was always going to come into his own over fences and having already won the Drinmore Chase, he confirmed himself to be the leading Irish staying chaser in his division.
For Russell, it was a day to remember, something he thought he wouldn't experience again; "This is what it is all about. I thought we were done with all these."
On Mighty Potter, the Cork man added; "I am very happy, he is learning an awful lot. He is growing up every day, just getting better and better.
"He jumped so well, I was happy to go on after jumping the second last. There are only so many times you can disappoint a horse when he is traveling that easy."
Elliott said:- “He's a good horse and we've got a few nice novice chasers.
“Jack (Kennedy) was full of confidence after the last day. We watched the race together and he was happy that Davy let him roll on when he did.
“The further he goes he drops his head, gets low, and gallops.
“I was a bit nervous. I thought we'd win the first but we were a bit unlucky, got a bit far back.
“A few of our big shots yesterday didn't run and he was kind of our first real one that had to win.
“He's settling better now, before he was keen. I love that when he gets to the front he spits it out and from the last to the line he drops his head and gallops.
“The Turners is definitely where he's going and hopefully this man beside me (Kennedy) gets the okay to be back riding him. If he doesn't Davy is there but we're hoping this man is back.”
On his run at Cheltenham last year he added:- “He's a stronger horse now. He left his hind legs in a hurdle that day and Jack didn't knock him around.
“We probably should have pulled him up straight away but he said he'd jump another hurdle or two to get his confidence.
“He's probably a quicker horse than Gerri Colombe but Gerri's not bad either.
“I thought he was brilliant yesterday. He's like a child's pony at home, he's so laid back.
“He was foot perfect, except for one, and we'll go straight for the RSA now with him. I think the race will be made for him.”
Additional reporting by Gary Carson
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