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Gary Carson

Gary Carson

Duffle does the job in style on debut

Tue 8th Sep 2020, 13:43

Duffle Coat and Keith Donoghue jump the last to win from CrassusDuffle Coat and Keith Donoghue jump the last to win from Crassus
© Photo Healy Racing

The Gordon Elliott-trained Duffle Coat looked a smart prospect when making a winning debut in the opening Sanctuary Synthetics 3-Y-O Maiden Hurdle at Punchestown this afternoon.

The Alhebayeb gelding was the only horse in the field with no Flat experience but ran out a cosy winner despite being very easy to back, returned 16/1 having been 4/1 in the morning.

Keith Donoghue held the grey up towards the back of the field in the two-miler and he made up ground stylishly turning for home.

He was asked to hit the front before the final flight and powered clear on the run-in for a six-length success over Crassus

“He's a brother to a good horse (Starchitect) but he's never even been on grass and that's the first time he's ever worked properly,” said Elliott.

“We got a few of them in a bit of a package deal. He was just hacking away, he wasn't showing us much so we said we'd run him just to see where we were and to start him off.

“He looked good, he travelled into it well. He has to be a smart horse because he has nothing done.

“Keith said he'll improve a stone from it, he said he was very green.”

About Gary Carson
Gary started out as a trainee/assistant journalist with the Sporting Life newspaper and has worked in the racing industry for over 25 years. He has been with the Press Association since 2013 and won the Irish Field Nap Table in 2016. He enjoys working with horses and trained his own horse, Mamaslittlestar, to win a point-to-point in 2019.