Found A Fifty gives weight and a beating to Down Royal rivals

Found A Fifty produced a determined display to see off the race-fit Pinkerton and land the Grade Two Bottlegreen Ladies Day 2024 Chase at Down Royal.

Gordon Elliott’s charge was a top-class novice last term, securing Grade One victories at Leopardstown and Aintree and finishing second to Gaelic Warrior in the Arkle at Cheltenham.

The seven-year-old made a successful reappearance by keeping on well for Sam Ewing to score by two and a quarter lengths from Galway Plate winner Pinkerton, who had run on the Flat 10 days earlier and was receiving a stone from the 11-10 favourite.

Elliott said: “It was a good performance. He (Ewing) said he had a nice blow, and he was giving a stone to the second horse.

“He is probably not going to be the easiest horse in the world to place, but a good horse.

“You’d have to think something like the John Durkan. He could go up in trip, or you could take him back to two miles the way he jumps.”

Romeo Coolio, runner-up in last season’s Champion Bumper at Cheltenham, obliged like a 2-13 shot should when hacking up by 18 lengths in the Tayto Group Maiden Hurdle for Elliott and Ewing.

Elliott said: “He’s a speedy horse and I’m delighted with him. He’s a real two-miler, a quick horse. He’ll definitely stay at two miles.

“I think he was almost foot-perfect – even down to the last, he got in close to it and quick away from it. A great performance, he jumped class.

“He’s a lot stronger – even watching him walking around the ring, there is a big improvement in him today. Last year, he was light.

“I imagine the Royal Bond will be where he goes, all being well.”

Paddy Power and Betfair kept Romeo Coolio’s Supreme Novices’ Hurdle price at 14-1.

Elliott was also successful in the Eventsec Handicap Hurdle with 4-1 chance Kala Conti, partnered by 7lb claimer Carl Millar. A Grade Two winner as a juvenile last term, he could now be aimed at the Dublin Racing Festival.

Although out of luck with Gerri Colombe, the Cullentra House handler completed another good day at Down Royal when Classical Creek obliged in the Ladbrokes (Pro/Am) INH Flat Race as a 2-9 favourite.

Joseph O’Brien’s Prairie Angel justified 11-10 favouritism when following up a couple of Flat wins last month with a straightforward success in the Lisburn And Castlereagh City Council 3-Y-O Hurdle to make it two out of two over timber.

Winning jockey Danny Mullins was deputising for the injured J J Slevin and said: “It is unfortunate, I’ve been on that side of the fence before and I’m just lucky that Joseph has plenty of these types that are going to pick up a lot of these races, and it was nice to get the ride.

“This one is going the right way – probably still a fraction raw today. She is going to improve as a hurdler again.”