Coko Beach and Danny Gilligan © Photo Healy Racing
Trainer Gordon Elliott ran a record 14 horses in Navan's Bar One Racing Troytown Chase today and won with stalwart grey Coko Beach under Galway Plate-winning 5lb claimer Danny Gilligan.
Elliott's Cavalry Master was a late withdrawal leaving 20 runners and being typically well-contested, 2021 Thyestes Chase-winner Coko Beach led at the second-last before beating Gavin Cromwell's Limerick Lace by 2.25 lengths. Fakir D'alene , Dunboyne and Frontal Assault filled the '3, 4 and 5' for trainer Elliott, who was recording a 25th winner in a blistering past fortnight.
Elliott reported “Coko Beach is a great horse who is a bit of a boyo at home, is a character and we're lucky to have him. He's been knocking on the door in all those races so he deserved to win one.
“Jack (Kennedy, stable jockey) wanted to ride him but I wanted to claim and thank God I did - Danny is a great little rider and it's a valuable 5lb. I thought it was a good race to watch, it was helter-skelter, they went a good gallop and all horses seemed to be home safe.
“We'll probably head for a National with him and he could also go for the Thyestes. He has also schooled over cross-country and we won't rule that out either.”
Gold Cup-winner Elliott, who raced 353 horses last season and has been in an arms race with Willie Mullins for ten years, added “we have to support these races, if I didn't run horses there would only have been seven runners.
“It's massively important for Navan racecourse, for the sponsors Bar One and for Irish racing that these races are full. I'll support them and so will my owners. I don't know if it's the type of slow horses that I buy but I seem to have a lot of them.
“Thank God I won it anyway!”
Quotes from Gary Carson
