Zaidi completed a first and last race double for Gordon Elliott at Thurles this afternoon when taking the Ballagh INH Flat Race in very impressive fashion.

The Born To Sea gelding, winner of a point-to-point and a promising second on his only previous bumper start for Ellmarie Holden, was bought by current connections for £30,000 at Cheltenham last December.

The 4/5 favourite led early in the straight under Jamie Codd and stretched clear from over a furlong out to score by an effortless 17 lengths. Minella Diamond held off Naruto by three quarters of a length for the runner-up spot.

Codd said, "He is a nice horse and I don't know what was in the race but he couldn't have been any more impressive. He handles that ground very well and that was probably a help and I was happy to see the rain coming.

"He is a six-year-old so I'd say Gordon won't wait around too long with him. On that ground he is fine over two miles but over jumps could want 2m4f and he won a point to point on real heavy ground. I'd say the ground is key to him."

Elliott earlier landed the beginners’ chase with Mylestown Upper

Quotes by Tom Weekes