Croke Park and Jack Kennedy (centre)© Photo Healy Racing
Croke Park (4/6f) led home a 1-2-3-4 for Gordon Elliott in the Grade 3 John Lynch Carpets Monksfield Novice Hurdle today, recording a good result for the local trainer on his marquee day at Navan.
Elliott runs a record 15 horses in the featured Troytown Chase later in the card and ran four of the six horses for this 2m4f contest, scoring with yard first-string Croke Park, under Jack Kennedy.
The Gigginstown House Stud-owned five-year-old had to battle but finished well on the run-in to beat stablemates Mel Monroe Search For Glory and Pinyon Jay
Elliott, recording a double, reported “he's a lovely horse, Jack said he probably wants three miles in time. He said he didn't do a whole lot when he got there but did it well and jumped well. We probably don't have to go three miles just yet.
“He's a big horse and he's had two runs now, so I might even keep him for (the January Grade 1 in) Naas. I don't want to go to the well too much, I think he is a nice horse.”
Regarding his beaten horses, he added “Mel Monroe is a nice mare and has improved an awful lot from Cheltenham. She was just about fit enough to go there and ran well. It looks like she came on again, it was a great run and it was a nice bit of black-type for the boys (KTDA Racing).
“Search For Glory might come back here for the good handicap hurdle - the €100,000 race. Mel Monroe might come back for that as well and could step up or drop back in trip.”
Quotes from Gary Carson
