"It's the end of a long day - it was one of them days when we were unfortunate to lose the other horse (Mega Fortune) who was a very good horse but it is outside the door so that's the way it is," reflected Gordon Elliott after Jury Duty (4/7) made a winning chase debut in the Racing Post Irish EBF Beginners Chase at Limerick.

He wasn't fluent at the sixth and seventh but it was fairly much plain sailing otherwise as the Davy Russell-ridden Jury Duty beat Twiss's Hill by two and a half lengths. There was forty six lengths back to Snugsborough Benny in third.

"This is a nice horse and the boys (locally based Sideways Syndicate) will have loads of fun with him. Davy (Russell) said the ground was tacky enough for him and he wasn't just in love with it but it's job done and he'll come on a lot from the run.

"He jumped well and we'll tip away and find a small winners' race next. It's a long way to be thinking about Cheltenham but the four mile chase could suit him grand. He ran well in the Pertemps (Hurdle, finished third) last year and loves a bit of better ground."

(TW & EM)