Shannon Royale and Jack Kennedy win the INH Stallion Owners EBF Maiden Hurdle Healy Racing © Photo Healy Racing
Shannon Royale caused a huge upset when proving far too good for 1-8f Tullyhill in the I.N.H. Stallion Owners EBF Maiden Hurdle at Punchestown.
The Gordon Elliott trained five-year-old had won his bumper in Clonmel last April but looked somewhat exposed over hurdles having failed to score on his opening two salvos at this discipline.
Sent off 4-1 second favourite in a field of just five, he had appeared to face an almost impossible task against the highly touted Willie Mullins runner Tullyhill.
The latter had won his point-to-point and bumper before finishing a highly creditable runner-up in Grade 1 company at the festival here on his final start last season.
Sent straight to the front by Jack Kennedy, Shannon Royale was strongly challenged by Tullyhill when the latter was untidy three out.
Regaining momentum, Tullyhill came with a renewed effort on the run to the penultimate flight but Shannon Royale found plenty for pressure and wasn't for passing.
Stretching right away on the run to the last, Shannon Royale stayed on impressively to win by 24 lengths.
Gordon Elliott said: “I was disappointed with him the last day and put cheek pieces on to sharpen him up. He’d fitness on his side but Jack said he was a different horse altogether today and maybe he just needed the run the last day.
“His jumping was good but he has been disappointing. We’ll probably look for a three-mile handicap somewhere and see what happens.”
Shannon Royale was cut to 14/1(from 20/1) for the Albert Bartlett.
Tullyhill was eased in Cheltenham markets by Paddy Power 25/1(from 10/1) for Ballymore & 33/1(from 12/1) Albert Bartlett
Additional reporting by Alan Magee.
