At The Acorn and Phillip Enright© Photo Healy Racing
With owners the Here For The Craic Partnership in attendance and the money down, At The Acorn (3/1 favourite) delivered in no uncertain terms in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Rated Novice Chase at Fairyhouse today.
This 150,000 Euro point-to-point graduate has been a long-time entrant in many a notebook and with Phillip Enright he showed why in this extended two mile five furlong heat.
The Gold Well gelding sauntered home by two and a half lengths from The Long Mile (9/2 into 100/30) and Martin remarked: “He's come right, come of age, he was just a weak backward horse last year.”
Both At The Acorn (1st) and subsequent Grade One winner Fiddlerontheroof (4th) carried the Timmy Hyde colours when participating in a Rathcannon point-to-point in April 2018.
“He jumped very well the last day at Leopardstown and the spin sharpened him up well,” elaborated Martin.
“He got his ground and got everything today so it worked out.
“He wants winter ground, he's a slow horse and just a resolute galloper. He jumped very well in the novices and the last day in a handicap jumped brilliant. He was a handicapper against novices here.
“At the moment that's hard work and you wouldn't like to be going much further but in time he will.”
(GC & EM)
