Firm Footings, far side, gets the measure of Soldante in the closing stages © Photo Healy Racing
Gordon Elliott doubled up at Galway when Firm Footings ground out victory in the concluding bumper over an extended two miles.
He and the always-prominent Soldante went on from a toiling Allibaba in the final furlong and the 6/5 favourite got the better of his rival in the closing stages to score by a length and a quarter. The runner-up was returned at 4/1. Allibaba (15/8) was 14 lengths adrift in third.
“He's a nice horse. That's just the start now of our bumper horses getting fit. We knew they were all a couple of weeks off running for the last couple of weeks,” said Elliott.
“He's a galloper. He's a horse that could run in a graded hurdle in the spring and then we'll put him away until next year. He won't run in another bumper.
“I'd say he wants two-and-a-half miles.”
Firm Footings came in third on his bumper debut at Punchestown in April on much better ground.
Elliott also saw Three Card Brag land race two.
Additional reporting by Gary Carson
