Favourite Bayan lands Lartigue for Elliott

Bayan was the punters’ pal in the featured Lartigue Hurdle at Listowel as the 5/1 favourite fended off his market rival Call Me Bubbles to win a pot of almost €30,000.

The four-year-old belied any ground reservations with a game performance in this competitive two mile handicap. He raced in fourth before coming through to dispute the lead at the third last. He was to the fore at the second last and Davy Condon pushed him out after the last to hold Call Me Bubbles (11/2) by a length and a quarter.

There was a gap of three and three quarter lengths back to One Fine Day in third at 16/1. Hurricane Ridge was popular on course from 9s to 13/2, however he came in eighth.

“It’s nice to get a winner after travelling all the way down here. He stayed well. I thought he was a bit unlucky not to win a big handicap at Galway,” Gordon Elliott said.

“He’ll probably go for some of the good handicap hurdles in England. I was a bit worried about the ground coming here today. He was bought for a reasonable fee.”

Gary O’Brien, racing presenter for At The Races, is one of the Core Syndicate who own Bayan and he said: “I’m thrilled with that. I was very worried about the ground. He’s a smashing little horse. Gordon’s done a great job.

“We talked it over with Gordon. I was worried about the ground and to be fair so was he. If it hadn’t been such a big race we might have pulled him out.

“The syndicate are all from Malahide/Portmarnock direction and are here apart from one member who is in Sweden on business.”

Jockey Davy Condon added: “I had a good horse under me. He wouldn’t have been in love with the ground, but we took the shortest way round and it paid off.”

This win gave Gordon Elliott a quick-fire double at Listowel as Toner D’Oudairies won the previous race.

Additional reporting by Alan Magee