The Wallpark delivers another Troytown for Elliott Gordon Elliott won the BAR 1 Betting Troytown Handicap Chase for the eighth time at Navan as The Wallpark struck to seal a fine weekend for owner JP McManus. The choice of Jack Kennedy from a battalion of Cullentra runners, the eight-year-old looked well handicapped on the best of his form, which included finishing third in last year’s Stayers’ Hurdle at Cheltenham, and so it proved. The 6-1 chance could be spotted moving strongly three out and ran on particularly strongly after the last to win for the first time over fences, by length and three-quarters from He’s Gorgeous, who edged Kinturk Kalinisi for the runner-up spot. Elliott said: “He did (find his hurdle form), to be fair. It looked like he was (well handicapped) on his hurdle form. He has been disappointing if we are going to be honest, but at least he broke his duck in a good race. “He has been promising that for a while. He had a good run round here one day and has been a bit hot and cold to be honest. He’s had his day in the big one.” He went on: “That is eight Troytowns and Navan is where I want to win, in the heart of County Meath. “We’ll have a chat with Frank (Berry), JP, and the whole team and we’ll see (if he’s an Irish National horse). “Big thanks to the McManus’s, they have supported me through thick and thin for a long time. I have repaid them with a big handicap chase, so it is brilliant. “Big well done to Navan today. They did a great job watering the ground and they called it exactly what it is. That is all we want as trainers. If the ground isn’t suitable, you don’t run your horse.” Stuart Crawford was delighted with the win of Paddy’s Milestone (9-1) in the BAR 1 Betting ‘Bet 10 Get 50’ Tara Handicap Hurdle. Crawford said: “Sam (Ewing) gave him a great ride. They went a strong gallop early on and I’d say it probably played into his hands the way he decided to ride it. “The syndicate are all local to me, and they have been involved in horses of some description for a long, long time. “It is sweet when it is people you know and are friendly with when you get a big win for them on a day like today.” The Henry de Bromhead-trained Huff’n’puff (3-1) made a winning start to his jumping career in the BAR 1 Casino 3-Y-O Maiden Hurdle. “We hoped he might take to hurdling like that and he did. I thought Jordan (Gainford) gave him a brilliant ride – he really nursed him round; he was a bit green into the first and second,” said the winning trainer. “I’d say Christmas would be high on the agenda. There’s a good three-year-old hurdle at Leopardstown.” Gavin Cromwell was equally pleased with the effort of Theemeraldempress (11-2) as she got off the mark in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares Maiden Hurdle “She has gears and she stays well; she stayed well up the hill. She is nice to look forward to for the season,” he said. “We’ll enjoy today and see where it brings us. Yes, I think so (could be one for festivals further down the line).”
