Grand National on the horizon for Ash Tree Meadow as Gordon Elliott racks up 11 wins from two-day Down Royal meeting

Gordon Elliott enjoyed another day of success after Ash Tree Meadow took care of sole rival Visionarian in the Grade 2 Racing TV-sponsored chase under Jack Kennedy to deliver the trainer victory in the opening five races of the meeting.

However, Elliott's dream of going through the card died there. Bottomweight Reddys Island, Elliott's only runner in the following handicap chase, finished a gallant third and favourite Cleatus Poolaw was runner-up in the bumper. Yet the defeats could not hide Cullentra's domination of this two-day meeting which Elliott has made his own after saddling 11 of the 14 winners. Astonishing stuff.

Ash Tree Meadow had the race conditions in his favour in this Grade 2 contest, with the overnight withdrawal of Feronily reducing the field to just two runners. Jack Kennedy enjoyed an armchair ride on the French-bred seven-year-old as he made all and had Visionarian beaten after the third-last.

"I don't think he wants heavy ground, so we might give him a break now," said Elliott. "He's been in all summer, so we might bring him back and train him for the Grand National."

Memories start early

A mixture of young prospects and older stalwarts bore fruit for Elliott earlier on the card. A special talent in the making could well be the JP McManus-owned Down Memory Lane, who won the 2m1f maiden hurdle in a canter for Derek O'Connor.

An impressive winner of a Fairyhouse bumper in February, the five-year-old jumped well before sauntering clear on the run-in and remains a 25-1 shot with Paddy Power for the Supreme Novices' Hurdle.

Elliott said: "Derek was very happy with him, he said he was only doing a half-speed. It was not a wonderful race on paper and we would have been disappointed if he didn't do that, but I definitely like what I saw there. We will stick to two miles for the moment and he has a lot of class, I would say he's a good one."

Wodhooh (right) claims her third win of the season under Jack KennedyCredit: Patrick McCann

Juvenile Wodhooh made it three out of three over hurdles in the opening three-year-old contest and provided Jack Kennedy with the first leg of his treble as she prevailed in a good battle with Cossack Chach. A Listed contest at Newbury next month is in mind for the odds-on scorer.

Elliott was back in the winner's enclosure with Magic Tricks, who landed the Listed handicap hurdle. Second in the race two years ago, he was having just his third run back from over a year on the sidelines and was given a proactive ride by 7lb claimer Carl Millar, who picked up a four-day careless riding ban for an incident between the final two flights.

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