Red-hot Elliott bags another four at Leopardstown

Gordon Elliott played down his chances of being crowned champion trainer for the first time after rounding off a fantastic festive period with four more winners on the final day of Leopardstown’s Christmas Festival.

The Cullentra House handler has been firing on all cylinders in recent days, with an across-the-card six timer on Boxing Day followed by five winners on Saturday and two on Sunday.

Lynches Rock, star mare Wodhooh, Kish Bank and exciting bumper horse Keep Him Company added to Elliott’s ever growing tally at the Foxrock circuit on Monday and with Last Round also scoring at Limerick, he has saddled 18 winners in four days to leave him clear at the top of the trainer’s standings.

But when asked about the prospect of finally beating Willie Mullins to the title, he said: “I’m not even thinking about it.

“To be honest, four or five years ago there wasn’t a night I went to bed without thinking about it, but when you’re training against that man Willie Mullins we’ve got absolutely no chance of beating him. I just want to keep doing what I’m doing, keep training winners and keep doing my best.

“It’s been an unbelievable week. Normally things don’t bounce right for you, but to come out with this amount of winners is unbelievable.

“Credit to all the team I have at home and all our owners and jockeys.”

Hygge was Elliott’s 6-4 favourite for the curtain-raising Irish Stallion Farms EBF Academy Hurdle, but he could only finish third behind his stablemate Lynches Knock (6-1), who provided his jockey Jordan Gainford with his fourth winner in as many days.

Of the winner, Elliott said: “He was a bit keen the last day, so we rode him to get him settled. He’s come a long way forward, I loved the way he galloped and hit the line and he could end up being a Fred Winter horse.

“I’d say the other fella (Hygge) may not have stayed.”

Wodhooh obliged as the 8-15 favourite for the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Kerrymount Mares Hurdle before Kish Bank (9-2) made it a stable hat-trick in the Adare Manor Opportunity Handicap Chase under Carl Millar.

Keep Him Company (100-30) maintained his unbeaten record with an impressive win in the Jump Into Hospitality At Dublin Racing Festival INH Flat Race in the hands of Josh Williamson.

“He’s the kind of horse you could see back here in a three-mile chase in a few years’ time. He’s a real good one,” Elliott added.

“He might come back here for the Dublin Racing Festival but that’s as tight as he’d want the ground.”

Elliott and Kennedy were narrowly denied in the Donohue Marquees Maiden Hurdle, with 6-4 favourite Jalon D’oudairies beaten half a length by Frankie John (11-2), trained and ridden by Denis Hogan.

“I love the horse but when he got to the front, he was a bit lairy,” said Hogan, who received a 10-day suspension for his use of the whip.

“I knew we’d have to dig deep to be involved never mind win. I think he can win staying hurdles and he’ll be exciting to go chasing next year.”

Walks In June was an 11-1 winner of the SIS Supporting Irish Racing Irish EBF Novice Handicap Hurdle for Henry de Bromhead and Darragh O’Keeffe, while the Listed Neville Hotels Premier Handicap Hurdle went to Champagne Kid, trained by Pat Collins and ridden by 7lb claimer Eoghan Finegan.