Velvet Elvis and Keith Donoghue clear the last© Photo Healy Racing
There was absolute drama at the third last of the featured rated chase in Fairyhouse as odds-on favourite Corbetts Cross and Run Wild Fred crashed out to leave Velvet Elvis to beat Eklat De Rire
With just over half a mile to travel, and three fences to jump, Velvet Elvis led narrowly from Run Wild Fred with Eklat De Rire in third and Corbetts Cross (1/4f) held up in fourth.
Run Wild Fred jumped it to his right while Corbetts Cross jumped it to his left and the pair collided with each other and crashed out of contention.
Velvet Elvis, on his first start since switching to Gavin Cromwell, looked to have the measure of Eklat De Rire over two out and so it proved as he jumped the last with an increased lead. He went on by three and a-quarter lengths at 7/1 from the 9/1 runner-up.
This brought up a double for Cromwell and jockey Keith Donoghue who teamed up with Evies Vladimir in the preceding race.
Cromwell said: “We'll take it! We'll never know what would have happened, but he jumped well.
“He won this race last year and a small field is probably ideal for him and he loves that ground.
“Hopefully, that will be a confidence booster for him.
“I suppose we'll look at the Irish National. He's also in the National Trial at Haydock, but that will probably come too soon for him as it's Saturday week. We'll see how he comes out of this, but he's very unlikely to go there.
“He's probably not terribly well handicapped, but at the same time you'd have to consider an Irish National.”
Paddy Power trimmed Velvet Elvis from 14/1 to 12/1 for the Grand National Trial at Haydock. They made Corbetts Cross 7/1 from 7/2 for the National Hunt Chase (non runner money back), 12/1 from 8/1 for the Brown Advisory (non runner money back) and 12/1 from 10/1 for the Turners (non runner money back).
Additional reporting by Gary Carson
