3 minute read

Blow By Blow led home a one-two for Gordon Elliott and Gigginstown House Stud in the Thurles Racecourse Michael Purcell Memorial Novice Hurdle.

The 7-1 chance has endured a frustrating time of things since landing the Champion INH Flat Race at the 2016 Punchestown Festival, and was found wanting in the Grade One won by Next Destination at Naas last month.

He travelled kindly in this Grade Three contest and tracked his stable companion Roaring Bull when he took the lead off Not Many Left on the home turn.

Blow By Blow went clear between the last two flights and Rachael Blackmore kept him up to his work to see off Gun Digger by 14 lengths.

It could have been even better for Elliott and Gigginstown had Roaring Bull not taken a tired fall at the final flight.

Elliott said: "The horse ran for Rachael and she is the first one to get a tune out of him this year, so it's great.

"He's a big horse and is a Grade One winner so has plenty of ability. He might go to Cheltenham for something next - he's in the Martin Pipe, Albert Bartlett and all those races."

He added: "That's Rachael's first winner for me and she's in one morning a week for the past couple of weeks and the horses run for her so we're lucky to have the likes of herself, Lisa (O'Neill), Nina (Carberry) and Katie (Walsh), as they are a great bunch of girls in Ireland."