Ash Tree Meadow and Sam Ewing © Photo Healy Racing
Galway Plate winner Ash Tree Meadow recorded his seventh win under Rules and second at Grade 2 level when making all in the BoyleSports Webster Cup Chase at Navan.
The 7/2 chance led his four rivals along in this 2m4f event and he asserted from the penultimate fence under Sam Ewing, deputising for the suspended Jack Kennedy.
A fine leap at the last settled the issue as he came home three and a quarter lengths clear of Lucid Dreams
The 4/6 favourite Journey With Me didn’t jump that fluently on his first start in over ten months finishing a further half-a-length back in third.
The victory completed a double on the day for Elliott, celebrating his 46th birthday, and Ewing who were also on the mark earlier with Instant Tendance
Elliott said, "It wasn't really the plan to run him but when the race looked like it would cut up we decided we'd declare him and then make our mind up what to do.
“In fairness to Eamon and Robbie (Waters) they said 'whatever you want to do'. It worked out great.
“He's a good horse, Sam said he hated that ground and he'll be better on better ground.
“There is a race in Fairyhouse and a race in Aintree for him.
“He'll be entered in the Irish National and we'll see what Eamon wants to do, it's just whether he'd get that trip would be my only concern.
“We had four or five seconds last weekend but no winner. I'd be anxious myself, we haven't much between now and Cheltenham but it's happy days (today).”
Quotes by Gary Carson
