El Cairos Survives Late Blunder at Thurles
Gordon Elliott’s El Cairos got the job done in style at Thurles despite a heart-stopping dive at the final flight, securing a maiden hurdle victory and booking his ticket to the Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham.
The six-year-old, who was on the verge of a massive debut impression at Leopardstown before a last-flight fall, had slipped to second favourite behind Nicky Henderson’s Old Park Star. Sent off a heavily-backed 1-5 jolly in the ThurlesRaces.ie Maiden Hurdle, he cruised through most of the race before a blunder at the last.
Jockey Jack Kennedy quickly regrouped, and El Cairos powered clear to beat Roc Dino (recently second to Mighty Park) by three lengths—never really out of second gear.
Elliott was pleased: “Job done—he never came out of second gear. Jack said the mistake was his fault; he should have taken him back or asked him sooner, but I loved how he immediately came back on the bridle. That’s impressive.
“We wanted good ground, so I was a bit nervous, but it was this or Navan/Punchestown next week—too close to Cheltenham. He couldn’t have done more today. He’s very fast; Jack says the boot he has is unbelievable. He’ll learn from it, even in a big field. Straight to Cheltenham—he’ll be way better on better ground.”
The market reaction was mixed: Coral kept him steady at 5-1, but Paddy Power eased to 11-2 (from 9-2). Current ante-post quotes see him around 6/1 second favourite, with Old Park Star firming into 2/1–9/4 favourite.
Charme De Faust Impresses on Irish Debut – Triumph Hurdle Hope for Mullins & Townend
In the same Thurles card, Willie Mullins unveiled Charme De Faust with a dominant success in the maiden hurdle.
The Rich Ricci-owned filly, sent off 5-6 favourite, looked briefly threatened turning in but stormed clear to win by nine lengths under Paul Townend.
Townend reported: “She handled the ground well, had a couple of blows but will improve. She jumped brilliantly—I could use her French experience. There’s plenty more to come; she’s still developing and filling her frame. A nice future ahead—when she strengthens, she’ll be a fine mare.”
Paddy Power cut her to 14-1 (from 25s) for the JCB Triumph Hurdle—current quotes sit around 25/1–33/1 as she enters the picture.
Both horses now point straight to Prestbury Park in March. El Cairos looks set for a big run in the Supreme opener, while Charme De Faust could add depth to the Triumph. More Festival pieces falling into place!
