Racing report from Down Royal for Monday 17th March 2025
Trainer Gordon Elliott bounced back to winning ways after a disappointing Cheltenham Festival by landing a 189-1 four-timer with jockey Danny Gilligan at Down Royal’s St Patrick’s Day meeting on Monday.
Elliott saddled four of the six winners – with Gilligan doing all the steering – as the County Meath trainer rediscovered the winning touch having picked up just one victory at the Cheltenham Festival – which came in the very last race of the four days in the Martin Pipe with Woodhoh.xa0
Read below for a full rundown of the Down Royal card courtesy of Racing TV, who offer the latest Grand National free bets ahead of the showpiece race next month.
The opening contest on the card went the way of Glenashling, trained by Cheltenham Gold Cup-winning trainer Gavin Cromwell, but only after a stewards enquiry when Walk On The Beach, the 4-7 favourite, was demoted to second for causing two instances of interference.xa0
Race two on the card was the first of Elliott’s four winners on the card when 9-4 favourite Timmy Tuesday landed the two and a half mile novice handicap hurdle, scoring by six lengths from Kinbara Firstdraft in second.xa0
Cher Tara made it two wins on the card for Elliott and Gilligan with a one and a quarter length success in the two and a half mile handicap hurdle (3.02) and Favori De Champdou, third in the Listed grand national Trial last time out, landed the odds (5-6) to win the three mile and two furlong chase, comfortably at that by seven lengths to main market rival Jumping Jet.
Elliott and Gordon teamed up on 3-1 chance Lightkeeper to land the two miles and three furlongs novice chase (4.12), another comfortable winner by seven and a half lengths to 2-1 favourite Spirit Of Legend, to complete the four-timer on the day by the duo.xa0
The last two races didn’t go the way of the Elliott yard, though. Trainer Adrian Murray landed the spoils in the penultimate race on the card as Milan Forth bagged the Hunters Chase at odds of 9-4, while County Waterford handler Henry De Bromhead closed the card with an even favourite win for Echoing Silence in the bumper, a two and half length winner ahead of 11-1 chance Kenisa Sport.xa0
Down Royal results – Monday
1.52 – Glenashling
2.27 – Timmy Tuesday
3.02 – Cher Tara
3.37 – Favori De Champdou
4.12 – Lightkeeper
4.47 – Milan Forth
5.22 – Echoing Silence.
