Alelchi doubles up in opener

Alelchi Inois made it two from two since arriving from France when running out a convincing winner of the opening novice hurdle at Fairyhouse this afternoon.

Ruby Walsh made all the running on the gelding, who galloped on strongly in the closing stages to land the two-and-a-half mile contest.

Somethingwonderful had looked a big danger to the eventual winner as he travelled sweetly to challenge turning for home.

He found disappointingly little when asked a question after the second last, however, and the 11/10 favourite asserted before the final hurdle.

Aerlite Supreme came through to give chase on the run-in but despite keeping on well never looked like pegging back the Willie Mullins-trained winner and went down by a length-and-three-quarters.

The winner had drifted slightly before the off, from 10/11 to 5/4, before being returned 11/10. It was his first run since a winning Irish debut at Kilbeggan in May.

“He jumped well and travelled well,” said Walsh.

“You’d like to think he’ll improve from the run. It was a good enough performance. I just had to keep after him from after the last.”


Walsh also had some interesting views on the inside track at Fairyhouse:- “As strange as it sounds I think the inside track here is a good bit stiffer than the outside.

“More races change on the inside from the last and it just seems to rise a bit more.”

(Additional reporting by Alan Magee)