Carlito Brigante and His Excellency notch victories for Gordon Elliott at Killarney
Killarney hosted some exciting races on 15th May, 2012, and some races turned out just as the connections hoped they would.
Trainer Gordon Elliott and jockey Davy Russell were two of the delighted people, whose runners, Carlito Brigante and His Excellency, bagged magnificent victories.
Gordon Elliott’s hard work paid off as, His Excellency showed his real potential in the Irish Stallion Farms European Breeders Fund Beginners Chase, where he was mounted by rider, D.N. Russell.
The son of King´s Best, out of mare Road Harbour, raced with a 7-1 chance, and was not expected to deliver, but he crashed the party in the final stages of the race, when he finished 2 ¼ lengths ahead of, Cass Bligh.
The winning trainer was extremely pleased with his performance and is optimistic about his future. To the media, he stated that:
"He was getting the four-year-old allowance and was a Grade Two winner (over hurdles). He jumped great and Davy gave him a class ride. He'll mix it between hurdles and chases for the summer and will probably run next in a novice chase."
While it was a tough race for His Excellency, Carlito Brigante comfortably notched a victory in the O'Keeffe O'Shea O'Connor Solicitors Novice Chase, as he crossed the wire 7 ½ lengths before the runner-up, Catcherinscratcher.
The six-year-old gelding raised the esteem of his connections as he lived up to his status of race favourite, and cashed in on his winning odds of 2 to 1.
This was his great comeback, as he failed to impress in the Cheltenham Festival, where he was pulled up and could not complete the Grade 3 Coral Cup in the Cheltenham Festival.
Elliott expressed his delight in these words:
"He was entitled to win that on his hurdle rating. Nothing went right for him last season. He had a wind op after his first run and had to have stitches after Cheltenham.”
The trainer elaborated that the bay gelding, who is owned by the Gigginstown House Stud, will continue to race for the rest of the summer, but his season is likely to end in October.
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