Irish Point (Joshua Tree) put his top-table experience to good use and wins the Grade III Kingsfurze Novice Hurdle at Naas for Robcour and Gordon Elliott.
The five-year-old has campaigned respectably at Grade One level since scoring at Cork on debut for Gordon Elliott in November.
He followed that winning bow by finishing a head second to Marine Nationale in the Royal Bond at Fairyhouse, before picking up another silver medal in the Lawlor’s Of Naas Novice Hurdle shortly after the festive period.
Fourth at the Dublin Racing Festival, he proved far superior dropping back in class for the Grade Three Bar One Racing “Guaranteed Overnight Prices” Kingsfurze Novice Hurdle – making most in the hands of Davy Russell to justify 1-4 favouritism.
“They went slow and he was able to do his own thing,” said Ian Amond, Elliott’s assistant trainer.
“He wasn’t doing much in front but Davy said he wants that type of ground.
“He was stepping down in grade and it was straightforward for him. It was a bit of a sprint from the second-last.
“He’ll probably go to Aintree and could run over two miles or two and a half.”
Irish Point was sourced privately in France in conjunction with fellow agent Nicolas Bertran de Balanda.
