TREBLE FOR TAYLOR AT THURLES, ELO ALSO IMPRESSES

Peter Farrell

Thurles hosted a seven-race card on Saturday night and there was a magnificent treble from the kennel of Kim Taylor, while Gortkelly Elo produced the standout performance with a wide-margin victory.

The performance of the night came in race four, an A5 contest, as Andrew Murray’s Gortkelly Elo stormed to an emphatic success, posting a very fast clock in the process. Drawn in trap six, the September ’24 whelp broke well from his outside berth and was headed only by Bull Run Nugget in four in the early exchanges. However, when the latter stumbled entering the second bend, ‘Elo’ swept to the front and quickly put the contest to bed. The son of Droopys Got It - Gortkelly Sorcha stretched into a ten-length advantage at the midway point and, maintaining a powerful gallop thereafter, that elusive maiden victory was never in doubt. Gortkelly Elo eventually crossed the line eleven lengths clear of Comawn Patrick in second, stopping the clock in a smart 29.09 on a track rated .40s slow on the night.

TAYLOR TREBLE

It proved a memorable night for Kim Taylor as she sent out a hat-trick of winners, the first of which came in race three with Virgil Tibbs.

Owned by the Nomads-Syndicate, the son of Kinloch Brae - Breathtaking broke well from trap five and just managed to nip around in front of Whizzing Daisy. The latter got back on terms at the crown of the penultimate bend, however, the superior stamina of ‘Virgil’ came into play in the closing stages. Staying on strongly to see off Chamberlain Skye by three lengths, the time was a fast 29.30 .40s.

The second leg of the treble came in race six as Whirl, a litter comrade of Virgil Tibbs, made it back-to-back wins for Taylor.

Known for her fast finishes, Whirl was a bad last in the early stages after breaking from trap two, but she produced an astonishing recovery to overcome a ten-length deficit. Finishing with real purpose, she swept through to run out a two-length winner over Stephens Bliss in second. It was a hugely impressive performance from the daughter of Kinloch Brae - Breathtaking, with the clock stopping at 29.33 .40s.

The hat-trick was completed in the concluding race as Breathtaking accounted for her third offspring winner of the night, this time sired by Jacob Tashadelek.

Two Shores donned the black jacket and he too was chasing back-to-back victories after scoring in 29.85 last time out. Breaking only moderately from trap four, Taylor’s runner showed excellent track craft to shoot up the inside and take command at the second bend. It was all over bar the shouting thereafter as the pacey black never relented, crossing the line three and a half lengths clear of Grimboat Laya in second. The time was 29.42 .40s, completing a memorable treble for the Taylor kennel.