Donal Murphy
Battleoverdoyen makes it four for Elliott
Battleoverdoyen clears the last under Mark Walsh
© Photo Healy Racing
Battleoverdoyen completed a four-timer at Down Royal for Gordon Elliott, as he claimed the Grade 2 Lough Construction Ltd Chase.
Successful at the highest level at Leopardstown on St Stephen's Day, the seven-year-old gelding was last seen finishing fourth in the RSA at Cheltenham in March.
Sent off a 9/2 chance this afternoon, the Gigginstown House Stud owned victor was prominent in the early stages before dropping back to third.
He made good progress to lead three out and kept on well when ridden from the last, going on to prevail by six lengths. Easy Game (10/11f) and Samcro (2/1) finished second and third respectively, with a neck separating them at the line.
Mark Walsh was aboard the winner and he was completing a double having also won the third on Cayd Boy
Elliott said in the aftermath: "He ran a great race and I'm delighted. He's a good horse and I'd say we were going too far with him at the end of last year.
“I'd say two and half miles for him, something like the John Durkan and Samcro could go there too.
"Samcro had a great race and Jack (Kennedy) said he would nearly have won if he didn't make a mistake (three out) at the wrong time. It knocked the stuffing out of him. He did well to get back into it."
Additional reporting by Michael Graham