Croke Park emerges from the fog with more Grade 1 glory for Gordon Elliott

Gordon Elliott moved to within two of a century of Grade 1 winners thanks to the constantly underestimated Croke Park, who followed up a neck win in the Drinmore with a head victory here. 

All the winner does is gallop and jump and those two ingredients have concocted quite a tasty chasing career so far. 

We didn't see much of Elliott's 98th Grade 1 win but, from what we could see, it didn't look like Croke Park jumped as delightfully as he did in the Drinmore. We think he made a lot of the running and we know he was about two or three lengths ahead halfway up the run-in only to idle and allow odds-on stablemate Better Days Ahead to get within a head of him at the line. He just held on and was left unchanged at 16-1 for the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase. 

Of being on the verge of a century of Grade 1 winners, Elliott said: "It's a great achievement for everybody in the yard. They work so hard to make all this possible. The horses have been running well all season and long may it continue."

Reflecting on the race, or rather what he could see of it, Elliott said: "I couldn’t see much, but it's great to win it. 

"To be completely honest, Croke Park disappointed me so much as a hurdler last year. I expected more from him. We had big expectations for him early on, but he was probably just so big and weak and needed time. 

"He’s come back in and gone chasing and has now won two Grade 1s already this season, so I’m delighted for Michael and Eddie [O'Leary]. 

"Maybe he didn’t jump as well as he did the last day. Sam [Ewing] said he slipped going into the first, but he won and that's the main thing."

Croke Park (Sam Ewing, right) gets the better of stablemate Better Days Ahead to make it back-to-back Grade 1 winsCredit: Patrick McCann

We now might not see Croke Park again before March. 

"He’s been busy enough and probably doesn’t need to run again before Cheltenham. I don’t think he wants real winter-heavy ground," the trainer said, when asked about future plans.

Elliott was not in the least bit despondent about the display of the runner-up, Better Days Ahead, who was narrowly unable to justify odds-on favouritism. 

He said: "He didn’t lose much in defeat, probably more of a test will suit him. He was up just after the line. Even when he won the Martin Pipe in Cheltenham he looked like a real stayer. As he’s named, there will be Better Days Ahead."

Albert Bartlett winner Stellar Story made a whole host of errors and trailed in last of the four runners, with Buddy One taking third for Paul and Jack Gilligan.

 Read more:

'He’s back where he belongs' - Constitution Hill back to his thrilling best as superstar hurdler downs Lossiemouth 

'It's a brilliant game, isn't it?' - joy for Paul Townend as Banbridge reels in Il Est Francais for a brilliant King George success 

'He'll go there with a right chance' - Potters Charm Cheltenham Festival-bound after passing Grade 1 test 

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