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Jumps season preview: Gordon Elliott dark horses

By Mark Howard

Horse Racing

Tue October 24, 2023 · 1y ago

Mark Howard's jumps season series opens with a look at some of the new recruits to Gordon Elliott's team for the new campaign.

'A cracking long-term prospect'

Caldwell Construction are the new owners of point-to-point winner D B COOPER having acquired the four year old at the Aintree Grand National Sale in April for £225,000.

Previously trained by Sean Doyle, the Getaway gelding won by two lengths at Ballyknock (Soft/Heavy) eight days earlier. Held up in a well run race, he led before the last before staying on strongly to beat some highly thought of opponents. Gordon Elliott also purchased the runner-up Prends Garde A Toi for €155,000 and it was thirty lengths back to the third.

In all likelihood, he will be kept to bumpers this winter and it is not beyond the realms of possibility he will emerge as a live contender for the Cheltenham Festival championship event in the spring. Time will tell whether he requires ease in the ground.

Robcour and Elliott enjoyed Grade 1 successes last season with Gerri Colombe, Irish Point and Teahupoo and Brian Acheson has invested heavily in new stock during the last twelve months. These include GOLDEN JOY who comes from the same source as smart bumper performer Ile Atlantique, namely Giada Menato (trained one winner in 2022 and 3 in 2023 so far).

A five and a half lengths winner of a conditions hurdle at Auteuil (2m 2f : Heavy) in late April, the race was dominated early on by long time leader Koliriska. Golden Joy was prominent in the chasing pack throughout before taking over at the second last.

Extending his advantage, the Conillon gelding stayed on strongly to win by five and a half lengths looking a high-class prospect in the process. The form has been boosted significantly with the third (Grade 3) and fourth (twice) winning since.

Agent Alex Elliott bought the four year old soon afterwards and he remains a novice until the end of November and could be one for the Gowran Park Novice Hurdle (11th November), which stablemate Saint Felicien won in 2021. He is a cracking long-term prospect.

"He'll land a big pot this season" | Horses To Follow for the 2023/24 jumps season

'Winning a bumper should prove a formality'

Elliott’s purchases at the public sales are always worth a second look. The good two mile handicap chases will be the plan for GREY DIAMOND who was bought for £35,000 at the Goffs UK Spring Sale. The nine year old has spent time with Alan King, Nigel Twiston-Davies and, more recently, Sam Thomas and formed part of owner Dai Walters dispersal sale in May.

A dual winner over hurdles and fences and rated 127 and 140 respectively, the Gris De Gris gelding was a ready winner of a two miles handicap chase at Haydock in March and is arguably at his best when fresh – his first time out record is 14132. Owned by the Lyreen Syndicate, don’t be surprised if he turns up at Cheltenham’s Paddy Power meeting for the £50,000 0-150 two miles handicap chase (17th November), in which he finished third last season.

Longer-term, the Grand Annual Chase at the Festival is likely to be on his agenda, too.

The four year old maiden point-to-point over two and a half miles at Oldcastle in February was dominated by two potential future stars. Victory went to the Rob James-trained and ridden Jingko Blue with JERSEY DES BROSSES a length back in second.

The pair pulled a dozen lengths clear of the third. The winner was subsequently sold for £225,000 and is now in training with Nicky Henderson, while Gigginstown House Stud paid £370,000 for the runner-up and he is an exciting addition to Cullentra.

Handled by Colin Bowe, he is a scopey chestnut gelding by No Risk At All with white markings. Never far off the pace, he jumped well and was embroiled in a duel with the eventually winner from the penultimate fence. The distant third has franked the form since. Jumping hurdles and fences will be his job in time but winning a bumper should prove a formality in the meantime.

Keep eyes open for 'talented filly'

Elliott has dealt with his fair share of high-class juvenile hurdlers winning the Triumph Hurdle twice (Tiger Roll (2014) and Farclas (2018)) and the County Meath handler also trained Quilixios to win at Grade 1 level before Cheveley Park Stud elected to transfer him to Henry De Bromhead. That gelded son of Maxios began his career over hurdles at Compiegne in France when trained by Francois Nicolle.

Compatriot KALA CONTI made her debut at the same venue in May in the Prix Nivolet, a conditions hurdle for fillies, which her trainer Dominique Bressou ran subsequent Grade 1 winning hurdler Stormy Ireland in six years earlier. While that daughter of Motivator could only finish second, the stable’s representative this time around made no mistake blitzing her opponents by ten lengths.

Agent Alex Elliott brokered a deal soon afterwards on behalf of Robcour, and Kala Conti is set to spearhead Gordon Elliott’s team of juvenile hurdlers for 2023/2024. Partnered by conditional Gabin Meunier, the Karaktar filly raced in mid division for much of the contest before dropping back to the rear leaving the backstraight. Once straightened up for home though, the Bressou trained filly started her challenge and was in front at the final flight. Shaken up on the run-in, she bounded clear of Holetown (placed over fences since).

The winning time was slower than the colts and gelding’s version and the form doesn’t amount to much, but Kala Conti looked a talented filly who revels in testing ground.

'Powerful galloper' looks one for bumpers

By all accounts, a decision has yet to be made whether unbeaten Irish pointer QUALIMITA will make her Rules debut in a bumper or go straight over hurdles.

Sourced in France by the legendary Walter Connors, the four year old made her debut for Colin Bowe at Fairyhouse in April (Soft) and, having taken up the running with four fences to jump, she pulled away for an impressive 30 lengths success under champion Irish point-to-point rider Barry O’Neill. Her trainer commented afterwards: “She was very good. She’s a big filly and we have taken our time with her; she has a great mind and a very big engine.

She jumps brilliantly and is very exciting.” Six days later, the Muhtathir filly was sold for €500,000 at the Punchestown Festival Sale and will represent Robcour and the Cullentra outfit under Rules. From the family of 148 rated hurdler Colonel Mustard, she is by the same sire as Envoi Allen and hails from the same source. Wexford based Bowe was also responsible for another multiple Grade 1 winner for Elliott, namely Samcro. Regardless of whether she plies her trade in bumpers this term or goes over hurdles, the four year old is a filly with a big future.

The black and white silks of KTDA Racing will be worn by another winning pointer ROMEO COOLIO this winter and beyond. A €92,000 store, the Kayf Tara gelding was a five lengths winner at Belclare (Soft) in March when in training with Donnchadh Doyle. Making all the running under Brian Lawless, the four year old overcame a mistake at the second last before readily seeing off his four opponents.

Four days later, he came under the hammer at the Cheltenham Festival Sale and Elliott, along with right-hand man Aidan ‘Mouse’ O’Ryan, secured the unbeaten gelding for £420,000. Unlikely to be in any hurry with their new acquisition, this powerful galloper looks one for bumpers this campaign before making a name for himself over obstacles.

Romeo Coolio at the Cheltenham Festival Sale (copyright Tattersalls)

'Blessed with stamina in abundance'

The triple Grand National winning trainer bought ST CUTHBERT’S CAVE for £150,000 on behalf of Gigginstown House Stud at the Goffs UK May Sales at Doncaster. The five year old, who was a £22,000 store, won a bumper at Kelso (2m : Good/Soft) a couple of weeks earlier for Rose Dobbin beating Breizh River by two and a half lengths. Ridden with patience early on by seven pounds conditional Dylan Johnston, he responded to pressure in the homestraight to win going away and looks a decent prospect for two and a half miles plus novice hurdles. A scopey son of Court Cave – sired Graded winners Champion Court, City Island, Court Minstrel and Willoughby Court – he will jump fences in time, too.

UNDENIABLE ALIBI is expected to make his Rules bow shortly having held an entry earlier this month. Owned by Robcour, the four year old was an expensive store costing €170,000 at the Goffs Land Rover Sale and he was in training with the aforementioned Colin Bowe for his pointing career. A gelded son of Saint Des Saints, he was a comfortable four and a half lengths scorer on his debut at Punchestown (Good/Yielding) over two and a half miles in February.

Rob James did the steering and he wasn’t hard pressed to account for Nouvotic, who subsequently finished sixth in the Goffs bumper at the Punchestown Festival a couple of months later. Bumpers are very much the plan this season and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him emerge as a Graded performer in that sphere.

The ill-fated Ginto provided Noel and Valerie Moran of Bective Stud with Grade 1 glory in the Lawlor’s of Naas Novice Hurdle last year before cruelly losing his life in the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham a few months later. Ironically, it is possible WINGMEN will develop into a candidate for the three miles event next March having been bought by the same patrons for £250,000 in January. From the family of the useful staying hurdler Black Harry, who fell in the 2007 Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle for Willie Mullins, Elliott trained him to win his point-to-point at Ballycrystal (Heavy) in January before being sold six days later at the Cheltenham Sales.

Ridden by Rob James and contesting a five year old gelding’s maiden, which was run in atrocious conditions, the son of Kayf Tara took charge after the third last and stretched away on the run-in. Blessed with stamina in abundance, staying looks his game and he could be one for the Grade 2 novice hurdle at Limerick (2m 7f) over the Festive period – his trainer has won three of the last four renewals.

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