Mighty Potter made a statement in the Bar One Racing Drinmore Novice Chase at Fairyhouse to give Gordon Elliott his seventh win in the race.
A dual Grade One winner over hurdles last season, he added his third top-table prize and first over fences when landing the two-and-a-half-mile Grade One by a cosy four and a half lengths.
One of two in the race for the contest's most successful handler, Mighty Potter was always up with the pace in the hands of Jack Kennedy and produced an exhibition round of galloping and jumping.
Mighty Potter made a statement in the Bar One Racing Drinmore Novice Chase at #Fairyhouse to give Gordon Elliott his seventh win in the race #RTEracing pic.twitter.com/797wroPhAC
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) December 4, 2022
Kennedy looked to have plenty of horse still underneath him when briefly pressed by Gaillard Du Mesnil in the home straight but ultimately had too many gears for his more experienced rival after the last, storming clear for an impressive victory.
Elliott, who has won this with the likes of Envoi Allen (2020), Delta Work (2018) and his Gold Cup hero Don Cossack (2013) in the past, saw Three Stripe Life pulled up following a mistake by Davy Russell.
But all the focus at Cullentra House will be on the winner, who was cut to 5-1 from 10s with Coral for the Turners Novices' Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.
Marine Nationale came with a late rattle to land the Bar One Racing Royal Bond Novice Hurdle.
The Barry Connell-trained five-year-old headed into the Grade One contest unbeaten and took the step up to Grade One-level with aplomb under a cool ride from Michael O'Sullivan.
Content to stalk the pace in the early stages, O’Sullivan appeared to have plenty of horse underneath him as the protagonists approached two out. Although temporarily put on the back foot following a mistake at the last, the 11-2 winner responded gamely up the run-in to deny Gordon Elliott’s Irish Point on the line.
Marine National prevailed by a head, with four lengths back to third-placed Ashroe Diamond.
Paddy Power and Betfair make Marine Nationale 7-1 from 16s for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.
Connell said: "He travelled away, jumped and settled. He nearly threw it away at the last with a bunny hop, but he dug in. It was the first time he’s ever been off the bridle in his life, and he had to be tough.
"I didn’t know what he’d do off the bridle. Sometimes these bridle horses, they don’t find a whole lot, but you’d love the way he battled and toughed it out. I’m thrilled to have him.
"I thought the ground was gone for him today, to be honest. He had been running away on good ground, and this was the softest ground he had.
"We ride him for speed. He’s actually a flat-bred horse, so we were always going to sit in behind the fancied ones and have a go. There’s no point in setting up a target. He’ll improve again from that, and is a genuine Grade One horse now, so happy days."
"It's brilliant. I’ve ridden Cheltenham winners, I’ve owned Cheltenham winners, but this is a different league altogether"
Connell has enjoyed plenty of big-race success as an owner over the years with the likes of The Tullow Tank, Foxrock and Our Conor, but he was thrilled to have trained a Grade One scorer.
"It’s brilliant. I’ve ridden Cheltenham winners, I’ve owned Cheltenham winners, but this is a different league altogether.
"I would imagine we will skip Leopardstown at Christmas as he’s had a hard race there, and we’ll probably go Dublin Racing Festival and the Supreme."
O’Sullivan was notching his first Grade One win and told RTÉ Sport: "I can’t believe it really. He is just a savage horse. Thanks very much to Barry and all the team at home for putting their faith in me. It went fairly smoothly and I just said I’d ride him for luck down the inside.
"I was crying all morning when the rain was falling as he is a French Navy horse. We thought we might get good ground or even yielding, but we didn’t get either. It was only his second run over hurdles and he was a bit novicey over one or two but just travelled everywhere and I just kept riding him and saving him for as long as I could.
"In fairness to the horse, he missed the last and still picked up at the back of it and went all the way to the line. He probably won with a small bit in hand. I didn’t wing either of the last two and if he did, he would have won even better."
Lossiemouth staked her Triumph Hurdle claims in style as she led home a Willie Mullins one-two in the Bar One Racing Price Boost Juvenile Hurdle.
The Closutton handler was responsible for four of the 10 runners in the Grade Three contest, but it became obvious this would be fought out between Lossiemouth and the 5-4 market leader Zarak The Brave as the race entered the business end. And it was the clinical jumping at the last two flights which sealed victory for the Danny Mullins-ridden winner, who was sent off the 3-1 second favourite.
Owner Rich Ricci has not been shy in mentioning Lossiemouth in dispatches since acquiring the daughter of Great Pretender following a 10-length win at Auteuil in April and this taking stable debut will have connections dreaming she could follow in the footsteps of Vauban, who scooped top juvenile honours at the Cheltenham Festival earlier this year.
"That looked very good," said Mullins. "She came with a nice reputation from France and has been working nicely at home but that's certainly way better than anything she has shown us before.
"Today was just a finding-out mission to see what we had and it looks like we have found a good one.
"Danny said he could have gone at any stage. He said her jumping was very good and she has so much scope. She was very good.
"We’ve found out a lot today and look forward to the future with her. We’ll have a look at Leopardstown at Christmas and see what the penalty structure is and there is also the Grade One at the Dublin Racing Festival."
Betfair responded by making Lossiemouth 5-1 from 12-1 for the Triumph Hurdle.
In the opening Bar One Racing Sign Up Bet 10 Get 50 Irish EBF Mares Handicap Chase, Gavin Cromwell’s Malina Girl registered a five-length success in the hands of Luke Dempsey.
"The soft ground brought her stamina into play over the trip and for a small mare, she’s very good to jump. It’s a nice pot," said the winning trainer.
"I bought her in an August sale for €7,500 and she’s won a bumper, an auction maiden hurdle and a beginners chase and a five grand bonus for winning each race and a 10 grand sales voucher for winning the auction race.
"She’s been some money-spinner."
Just over 24 hours on from landing big-race success at Aintree, Emmet Mullins was on the scoresheet once again when Merlin Giant (9-2) landed the valuable Baroneracing.com Handicap Hurdle scooping €59,000.
The winner is now set for a break before being targeted at the spring festivals early next year, while the Galway Hurdle could also be on the radar.
"He has more of a Flat pedigree, and we were slightly concerned about the ground, but he coped with it," said Mullins.
"The trip might have been a bit far for him the last day, but it was good to get that run under his belt coming here for a big, competitive handicap hurdle. You need experience for these races, although it didn't turn out like that in the end as Danny strung them out.
"We’ll give him a break now and maybe come back for the festivals in the spring.
"The Galway Hurdle could well be the aim next summer and he’ll be well up into that bracket now in the weights."
Punitive (9-2) and Fakiera gave Gordon Elliott a one-two in the Bar One Racing Porterstown Handicap Chase and the Cullentra House handler brought up a four-timer on the day when Better Days Ahead (15-8) opened his Rules account at the second attempt in the concluding Bar One Racing Giving Cash Back Daily (Pro/Am) Flat Race.
The son of Milan got the better of the well-regarded 4-6 favourite Chapeau De Soleil and was cut to 10-1 from 20s with Paddy Power for the Champion Bumper, while the runner-up was eased out to the same price from 13-2 by the same bookmaker.
Elliott, who also took the Drinmore with Mighty Potter and the Hatton’s Grace with Teahupoo, said: "He’s a nice horse. We thought he would win the first day but he’s a proper horse and is one to look forward to. He’ll stay in bumpers this season."
