Gordon Elliott's progress through the training ranks is beginning to turn heads and his Grand Opera s hat-trick of consecutive wins, gained in the Ladbrokes Gold Rush Handicap Hurdle at Killarney today, was his 29th winner (between Ireland & England )of the season.

Elliott's haul of 20 wins in Britain this season has the trainer in seventh place in the British Trainers' Championship and Grand Opera's win was following on from wins at Downpartick and Tramore recently.

Elliott himself was absent for Grand Opera's win but did report by phone “I thought the ground was too soft for Grand Opera but we had to take out chance with such good prizemoney. ”

He added “Grand Opera may now run in the English Cambridgeshire at Newmarket but may have one run, maybe at Bellewstown, between now and then.”