Bar One Hatton's Grace Hurdle |
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| Grade 1, Fairyhouse 14:35 €120,000 guaranteed, 4yo plus, 2m 4f, Class 1  |
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1 Teahupoo 85/40
2 Impaire Et Passe 4/5F
3 Ashroe Diamond 7/1
5 ran Distances: 1l, 12l, 9l
Time: 5m 21.50s
Teahupoo lowers the colours of Impaire Et Passe and goes back-to-back in the Grade 1 @BarOneRacing Hatton's Grace Hurdle!
— FairyhouseRacecourse (@Fairyhouse) December 3, 2023
Congratulations to Robcour, @jackkennedy15 and @gelliott_racing pic.twitter.com/I8Gb6D3uLD
Teahupoo secured a consecutive victory in race, outperforming the favoured Impaire Et Passe. Trained by Gordon Elliott, Teahupoo had previously ended Honeysuckle's unbeaten run in the Grade One contest the previous year. This time, it was Willie Mullins' Impaire Et Passe who faced disappointment as the 4-5 favorite.
Impaire Et Passe, seeking to continue his success from the previous season with wins at the Cheltenham and Punchestown Festivals, looked strong as they approached the final stretch. However, Teahupoo, ridden by Jack Kennedy, maintained resilience, surpassing the leader in the final moments to secure a length victory at odds of 85-40.
Teahupoo, who finished third in the Stayers’ Hurdle at Cheltenham in the previous season, is now positioned at 4-1 (from 6s) by Betfair for the upcoming race, while Impaire Et Passe, experiencing his first career defeat, sees his odds for the Champion Hurdle widen to 8-1 (from 11-2).
Looking ahead, Gordon Elliott is prioritizing a Cheltenham return in March for Teahupoo, planning a more direct route this time around.
He said: “We knew he was in good nick but obviously Willie’s horse was going to be hard to beat over two and a half miles and we know our lad wants three.
“Jack gave him a wonderful ride and was very clever on him, squeezed him along and said he was going to have one go at him between the last two.
“The horse has got a lot stronger. He’s only a young horse and didn’t do much wrong last year.
“We are going to do things a bit different this year and the plan is to go straight for the Stayers’ Hurdle now.
“We might have knocked the edge off him in Gowran last year.”
Owner Brian Acheson, in whose Robcour colours Teahupoo runs, added: “The key to this horse, like Bob Olinger, is Robbie Power. He takes a lot of the horses during the summer and does a bit of dressage.
“Everything is for the welfare of the horses to get them physically in good condition and mechanically working well.
“Bob Olinger is not going for the Stayers’ as he doesn’t stay three miles, but he might go to Aintree and take on Constitution Hill.”
Kennedy is now the most successful rider in the history of the race, having also won back-to-back renewals with Apple’s Jade in 2017 and 2018.
He said: “I think he’s after improving from last year, he seems a stronger horse. That was very good there and I’m delighted with him.
“He’s a pleasure to ride. Paul (Townend’s) lad looked to be on it a bit and I was kind of pushing him along a bit trying to make him do as much as he could.
“This lad was very good, he was tough and did it well in the end.
“I enjoy riding this lad. Obviously, he gave me a great day here last year as well, so it’s brilliant for him to back it up again this year.
“Hopefully, it’s onwards and upwards.”
Hatton's Grace Hurdle
€120,000 guaranteed, 4yo plus, 2m 4f, Class 1
5 ran
Going: Soft, Yielding to Soft in places
POS. DIST HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY SP
1 Teahupoo 6 11-12 Gordon Elliott Jack Kennedy 85/40
2 1 Impaire Et Passe 5 11-12 W P Mullins Paul Townend 4/5F
3 12 Ashroe Diamond 6 11-5 W P Mullins Mr P W Mullins 7/1
4 9 Zanahiyr 6 11-12 Gordon Elliott Jordan Gainford 20/1
5 5 Buddy One 6 11-12 Paul John Gilligan Jack G Gilligan 22/1
