Fil Dor strikes at Thurles but Mullins takes out nine runners

Fil Dor returned to winning ways for Gordon Elliott as he beat his only rival in the Racing TV Black Friday Offer 14 Euros Per Month Chase at Thurles.

An informative card looked in prospect at the County Tipperary track, with champion trainer Willie Mullins responsible for 10 runners, of which four were expected to be odds-on favourite.

Thurles has already seen three of its meetings called off due to quick ground but declarations were made on good ground which had not changed.

However, Mullins deemed conditions too quick and took out all but one of his entries, with Appreciate It, Embassy Gardens and Nick Rockett withdrawn from the Listed feature, turning it into a match race.

Jack Kennedy set out to make all on Elliott’s Fil Dor and the six-year-old, who chased home the likes Dinoblue and El Fabiolo last season, and was second to Saint Sam in the Clonmel Oil Chase last time out, had little trouble in beating Hazelhatch Lady by two and a half lengths as a 1-40 favourite.

“It was very straightforward and fairly routine. It would have been a surprise if he had been beaten as he was rated a lot higher than the other horse,” said Kennedy.

“He really showed some glimmers of his old form the last day in Clonmel, so hopefully it is onwards and upwards.

“I had previously ridden and won in three two-runner races, so I’m four from four now. I don’t think I’ve ridden one at such a short price though.”

There was, however, a reverse for an odds-on market leader in the opening race, with Philip Rothwell’s That’s About Right (5-1) beating the Joseph O’Brien-trained Boldog (2-13 favourite) by two and a half lengths.