Jack Kennedy settled a score with Fairyhouse’s Winter Festival in superb style on Sunday with a Grade One double highlighted by Teahupoo’s dramatic victory in the featured €120,000 Bar One Hatton’s Grace Hurdle.
A year after breaking his leg for a sixth time at this festival, Kennedy enjoyed black-type domination with four winners in the four Graded races up for grabs. All four were trained by Gordon Elliott.
After Mange Tout and Koktail Brut won at Grade Three and Grade Two level respectively, Romeo Coolio turned the Drinmore Novice Chase into a procession and delivered Kennedy a landmark 50th top-flight career success.
But if that was straightforward, it contrasted to a subsequent outstanding Hatton’s Grace finish.
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Following last weekend’s magnificent Durkan Chase head-to-head between Gaelic Warrior and Fact To File, the jumps campaign was lit up again as Teahupoo just got the better of Ballyburn in a desperate duel.
The evens favourite got the nod by just a nose and became the fifth horse to complete a hat-trick of Hatton’s Grace victories. It put Elliott on a joint-record six wins in the race and sent him past €2 million in prize money for the season so far.
The local trainer praised his No 1 jockey on reaching the half-century of wins at the top level and quickly pointed out just how high the tally might be but for the spate of leg injuries he’s had to endure.
Kennedy’s sixth leg-break on day one of the 2024 Winter Festival had left the 26-year-old rider in despair, and he admitted to not looking at the big race action. “This day last year I couldn’t even bear to turn on the racing. To get a day like today is brilliant.”
The former champion jockey was praised by another title-holder Ruby Walsh as an “inspiration” on RTÉ’s coverage for the mental strength he has repeatedly shown in his career.
Teahupoo came up short of his hat-trick bid in 2024 behind Lossiemouth but, like his jockey, the former Stayers champion bounced back to pull off a feat accomplished by the James Bowe pair Limestone Lad and Solerina, as well as the outstanding mares Apple’s Jade and Honeysuckle.
Teahupoo looked to have the measure of his stable companion Casheldale Lad when the latter came down at the last and Elliott commented: “Jordan [Gainford, riding Casheldale Lad] did a wonderful job in front, he got the fractions just right. Jack said he couldn’t have gone another gear faster.
“When you take a horse out of their comfort zone early in those type of races it’s very hard and we knew we were rolling the dice coming back to two and a half miles, but it just looked like the perfect starting point for him.
“He’s not a two-and-a-half miler, he’s a three-mile horse – he’s slow and he’s not getting any younger, but he’s got the heart of a lion.”
Ballyburn did a lot wrong during the race, and got caught in a pocket at one point, but showed enough to encourage some layers to make him a 2-1 favourite for Stayers glory at Cheltenham in March.
Romeo Coolio is as low as 5-1 for Arkle glory at Cheltenham after making it two from two over fences.
Kennedy praised his jumping technique as “quick as lightning” and Elliott indicated he has a range of options for the strapping novice. It was a record-extending ninth Drinmore for Elliott.
“Obviously with Cheltenham you have two or three [miles]. We could also come back here at Easter or go to Aintree, there are loads of options,” he said.
“The one thing Jack did say is that he wouldn’t be afraid to bring him back to two off a real fast pace, the way he jumps. There is no decision that needs to be made today, we’re going to enjoy it and see what happens,” he added.
Mange Tout is an 8-1 shot for the Triumph after proving superior to Narciso in the Juvenile, while Koktail Brut got the nod over Blake by a head in the Royal Bond Hurdle.
Elliott’s Grangclare Park started a warm 6-5 favourite to give the trainer a five-timer in the concluding bumper but could finish only third to the Mags Mullins trained 12-1 shot Young Rebel, who came from well back to win.
Willie Mullins and Paul Townend got on the mark in the €100,000 handicap hurdle where Zillow scored in the HOS Syndicate colours of the Breeders’ Cup hero Ethical Diamond. Jockey Caragh Monaghan, an All-Ireland medal winner with Meath in 2022, rode Vaureal to success in the opening Ladies’ Handicap Chase.
