Teahupoo (Masked Marvel) wins his second consecutive Hatton’s Grace Hurdle (Grade I) for Gordon Elliott and owners Robcour.
Gordon Elliott’s star lowered the colours of Klassical Dream and at-the-time unbeaten mare Honeysuckle in the prestigious two and a half-mile contest 12 months ago and this year defeated the odds on Impaire Et Passe, sent off the 4/5 market leader. The pair were neck and neck on the approach to the final flight but it was Teahupoo who kept finding for pressure on the run to the line, with Jack Kennedy’s mount registering a length success.
Cheltenham return in March is now top of Elliott’s agenda, with the trainer planning a direct route for Teahupoo this time.
He said: “We knew he was in good nick but obviously Willie’s horse was going to be hard to beat over two and a half miles and we know our lad wants three.
“Jack gave him a wonderful ride and was very clever on him, squeezed him along and said he was going to have one go at him between the last two.
“The horse has got a lot stronger. He’s only a young horse and didn’t do much wrong last year.
“We are going to do things a bit different this year and the plan is to go straight for the Stayers’ Hurdle now. We might have knocked the edge off him in Gowran last year.”
