Leopardstown Sunday review: Reports, reaction and free video replays including Cheltenham winner Sir Gerhard

Cheveley Park duo live up to billing

Weatherbys Champion Bumper winner Sir Gerhard made a seamless transition to hurdling with a straightforward victory in the Thorntons Recycling Maiden Hurdle at Leopardstown.

Victorious at the Cheltenham Festival on his first start for Willie Mullins having been with Gordon Elliott, the Cheveley Park Stud-owned gelding met with the first defeat of his career at the Punchestown Festival.

Not seen since, he was sent off a 2/9 favourite to get his new career off to a winning start and Paul Townend kept things simple, heading straight to an early lead.

He jumped well in the main, and while he got in a little tight to the final flight it did not slow him down and he quickened under minimum pressure to win by eight lengths from Highland Charge.

“He’s a very good jumper so I’m very happy to see him come out and do that,” said Mullins.

“I’d like to climb the ladder if I could, but he might just have to go into a graded race next – maybe at the Dublin Racing Festival, something like that. But I think he’s up to it.”

Sky Bet were suitably impressed and cut Sir Gerhard for a repeat win at the Festival.

The firm's Head of Sports PR Michael Shinners said: "That was a smart performance from Sir Gerhard. It will be fascinating to see whether he stays at two miles or reverts to a longer trip. We are now 4/1 for the Ballymore and 6/1 for the Sky Bet Supreme."

Later on the card, Ferny Hollow came out on top in a terrific battle with Riviere D’etel for the Racing Post Novice Chase.

Despite having made all in his beginners’ chase at Punchestown, Gordon Elliott’s Riviere D’etel was expected to give Ferny Hollow something to aim at given she was getting 13lb as a four-year-old filly. She will never be getting that much weight again as she turns five next week so it seemed worth a shot from Elliott, pitching her against Mullins’ 2020 Champion Bumper winner, and in truth she lost little in defeat.

Ferny Hollow, who only had one race over hurdles due to injury, had been something of a tearaway in his early bumpers and at one stage this threatened a return to those days as he set off at a tremendous lick under Paul Townend.

Jack Kennedy seemed content to take a lead on Riviere D’etel after a couple of fences and the pair of them put in some tremendous leaps on the way around.

While Ferny Hollow could never convincingly put the race to bed at any stage, the 10-11 favourite always looked to just have enough in hand.

The field were forced to miss what would have been the final fence due to damage caused on the first circuit and with the aid of the rail, Ferny Hollow came away to win by two lengths.

“I thought that was a huge performance to give that weight to a filly that no one has got near all season,” said Mullins, whose charge remains the only horse to have beaten Bob Olinger.

“He had come back from an 11-month break last time, but had only three weeks this time – I was worried all week that I was asking too much coming back so soon. Everything was against him, but he still pulled it out of the bag. I thought it was an awesome performance.

“He loves jumping. I really did think it was an awesome performance on his behalf. We could have waited another few weeks and gone to Punchestown and as we got nearer the race I wondered if I was doing the right thing. But he showed what he is today.”

He added: “We are very happy with him over the fences, he was never staying over hurdles. We’ll probably come back here for the Dublin Racing Festival and then the spring festivals.”

Sky Bet make Ferny Hollow their 7/4 favourite for the Sporting Life Arkle at Cheltenham in March and Michael Shinners said: "That was an excellent performance from Ferny Hollow who jumped beautifully and saw off a very good rival. We are now 7/4 for the Sporting Life Arkle."

Paddy Power and Betfair cut the winner to 2/1 from 9/4 for the same Festival contest.

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Fil Dor cemented his position at the head of the betting for the JCB Triumph Hurdle with a stylish display in the Knight Frank Juvenile Hurdle.

The 4/9 market leader having won his first two starts over timber in fine style, Elliott’s youngster faced his toughest task to date as he was meeting Noel Meade’s Lunar Power on 3lb worse terms than when they had met at Down Royal, when there was only a length and a quarter between them.

Lunar Power set out to make all under Sean Flanagan, but Davy Russell never let him get far from his sights on the favourite.

As they turned into the straight the market principals began to pull clear of the rest and both appeared to be travelling as well as each other – but approaching the last Fil Dor began to exert his authority and despite landing on all fours pulled seven lengths clear.

“He’s a nice horse, he’s so relaxed and we’re lucky to have him,” said Elliott.

“The Dublin Racing Festival would be the obvious place to go now, either there for the four-year-old race or straight to the Triumph. We’ll see how he is and make a plan.

“We were tempted by Chepstow (Grade One Finale Hurdle) and I suppose it was the prize-money which kept us here.”

Russell said: “We were mad about him from day one as a specimen, but he never really excited us in his work. He keeps it all for the racecourse.

“He’s like riding a point-to-pointer down to a hurdle, he’s so good to jump. He loves soft ground, but showed the last day he can handle it a bit better. He’s very versatile."

Mullins also won the closing bumper with Facile Vega, a son of the brilliant Quevega and the 10/11 favourite under Patrick Mullins.

“He was very good. He relaxed brilliantly. He covered huge ground and was a quicker horse than I thought he’d be, even,” said his rider.

“He’s his mother’s son. He was always doing a half-speed. I was worried I was going too slow, but obviously not.”

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