Elliott Maps Out Summer Flat Campaigns for Jumpers

Gordon Elliott's juggernaut jumps squad may have ground to a halt but a yard as big as Cullentra House Stables will soldier on in to the summer months with increasing interest in the flat.

In light of Horse Racing Ireland's COVID-19 contingency plan announcement, that whenever racing resumes the flat will be given priority, Elliott has decided to keep a number of talented jumpers on the go during the summer, with a view towards a dual-purpose campaign.

Bigbadandbeautiful heads a list of up to a dozen National Hunt horses who will be kept busy by Elliott as the trainer maps out an ambitious flat campaign for the winner of two listed bumpers last season. 

"Bigbadandbeautiful would be the main one. She was a good bumper mare for us last season and you'd be hoping that she could make a potentially smart recruit to the flat," Elliott said. "We'd be hoping she can win her maiden anyway and, maybe, she might be one for some of those good staying races. 

"There's a good program for those staying horses on the flat and we've thought for a while that she would fit that bill. Hopefully she can fall into that bracket."

Recent Revelations and Tronador, who finished fourth and ninth behind stablemate Aramax in the Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, are other sorts with which Elliott will be hoping to make hay on the level.

"Some of the juvenile hurdlers, the likes of Recent Revelations and Tronador, who both ran well in the Boodles, will stay going," he said. "Recent Revelations hasn't won on the flat but he is a different horse now to when he last ran on the flat. He could have a good, fun dual-purpose campaign during the summer."

Elliott added: "You'd like to think Tronador could pick up a race or two on the flat judging by what he did over hurdles as well. He's another we could have a bit of fun with. Battle of Wills could be one for some good staying handicaps later on in the year."

It was in the summer of 2017 when Elliott managed his first string of 2-year-olds, with his first runner in that sphere, Beckford, landing a Curragh maiden before running out an impressive winner of the GAIN Railway Stakes (G2) over the same course and distance.

Elliott made a conscious decision to scale back on his 2-year-olds for the current flat campaign at the beginning of the year, a decision he admits he has been left to rue.

"I have just the two 2-year-olds for the summer. We made a decision, rightly or wrongly, to cut back on the 2-year-olds at the beginning of the season," he explained. "Little did we know then what we know now. We probably could have done with them after all that's happened but there's plenty there to keep us busy over the summer."