Luck’s vagaries were on show at Sunday’s Winter Festival in Fairyhouse when champion jockey Jack Kennedy’s misfortune underlined how fate favoured his best friend Sam Ewing, who secured unlikely Grade One glory on Croke Park.
Kennedy breaking his leg for a sixth time in Saturday’s opener at the Ratoath track forced Gordon Elliott into shuffling his jockey options for Sunday’s top-flight action.
His number two, Ewing, duly replaced Kennedy on Teahupoo, who had to settle for second in the Hatton’s Grace Hurdle behind Lossiemouth, although Elliott opted for Keith Donoghue on the Drinmore’s hot favourite Firefox.
It was an eye-catching move considering Ewing had won on Firefox on his chasing debut at Down Royal. Elliott explained how Ewing was pencilled in for Michael O’Leary’s 22-1 outsider Croke Park and he didn’t feel it was right to change that.
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If Ewing could be forgiven for feeling a little bit sore about missing out on an evens-favourite, any frustration felt by the 21-year-old rider from Co Antrim was poured into an outstanding front-running ride.
Croke Park stepped up on previous form, jumped exceptionally well and stacked his opposition behind him from some way out. Donoghue on Firefox was looking for room early in the straight and in a blanket finish had to settle for third with Heat Wood splitting the stable companions.
Ewing said he was “gutted” for 25-year-old Kennedy who was scheduled to have an operation on his lower tibia on Sunday.
Elliott described his stable jockey as “obviously very upset and low” but stressed all the talent in his powerful yard will be waiting for Kennedy’s return which is expected to be before the Cheltenham Festival in March.
Until then Ewing can look forward to profitably keeping the seat warm, potentially teaming up again with Croke Park over Christmas.
“That was brilliant. The horse probably won an average enough beginners’ chase here the last day and I didn’t know if the form was good enough, but that’s why I run them in the races,” said Elliott.
“Sometimes people say I shouldn’t run as many, but if you’re not in you can’t win and that’s what racing is about. This lad was 22-1,” he added.
