Point & Russell get the better of Aherlow Vanishing Point got a deserved win to his name, as he battled gamely to beat Aherlow in the Clonacody Maiden Hurdle. Previously trained in the UK by Andrew Balding, where he was one from six on the level, the son of Pivotal was sold for 15,000 guineas at Tattersalls last October. He was second on his first two starts for Elliott at Cork and Down Royal respectively, and was sent off the 13/8 favourite this evening. Settled in mid-division by Davy Russell, the bay victor took closer order with a circuit to race, and was poised behind the leaders in third from three out. He came with his challenge on the outer from the next, and despite a sloppy jump at the last, he stayed on best in the closing stages to prevail by half a length. Aherlow, for Henry De Bromhead and Andrew Lynch, had to settle for second at 5/2 (was 5/1 in early shows), while Conna Cross (7/2) was thirteen lengths back in third under Paddy Mangan for his father Jimmy. Elliott trains the winner for the Armagh Bhoys Partnership, and he said afterwards: "He can go back on the flat and mix it between the two. Once the ground wouldn’t be soft he'll be alright. "He made hard work of it but he was never going to get beat either." Additional reporting by Alan Magee
