Gordon Elliott: The thoughts on my two Ballinrobe runners this evening

Gordon sends two runners to Ballinrobe this evening

Gordon Elliott is doubly represented on this evening's mixed card at Ballinrobe with Bayan going in search of a hat trick, and he looks to have conditions in his favour tonight. Read the Betfair Ambassador's exclusive views on here...

19.00 Ballinrobe - Totally Couture

This will be his fourth run in all over hurdles tonight, and he had been steadily progressive over the smaller obstacles after putting in a couple of decent efforts in competitive enough maiden hurdles at Navan, and then at Down Royal back in December both on heavy ground over two miles. He then went back to Navan in February and ran below par on heavy ground over 2m4f and it's quite possible that the step up in trip on the bottomless ground might have just stretched his stamina as he ended up finishing a well beaten 10th of the 12 runners. We decided to give him a break, freshen him up and wait for a bit of a sounder surface, which he should hopefully get here tonight but in saying that he will definitely come on for the run also. He is up against some horses here tonight that have had a recent run and may just have the edge over him in that regard come the finish.

Michael Hourigan's Enchanted Forest, John Monroe's Baby Grey (Recently sold out of Gordon's yard) and John Carr's Fergietheledgend all have good recent form and our horse will have to be on his game tonight to get the better of the argument with them, however in saying that I'd like to think he goes into the race with a chance of sneaking into a place and I'd give him an each way chance if the rain stays away and he gets some decent ground. Davy Condon takes the ride again here tonight, having previously ridden this horse to finish a highly respectable third to Willie Mullins' Grade One winning Un Atout at Navan at the end of last year. He was only beaten 6 lengths that day, and if he could reproduce anywhere near the level of that particular effort here he would surely have a good chance of being in the mix come the finish.

19.30 Ballinrobe - Bayan

He comes here tonight off the back of two recent victories, one in a maiden hurdle over two miles on unsuitably heavy ground at Cork at the end of March, and the other which was on the flat over 1m3f in a maiden race at Dundalk in April. He's an adaptable and durable type of horse, and he's been a nice money spinner for his owners, The Core Syndicate, since they bought him out of Brian Meehan's yard in the UK last November. We were slightly worried about the ground at Cork back in March, but Jason Maguire gave him a smashing ride on the day and we were delighted that he got his head in front with conditions not really in his favour. He went into the maiden win at Dundalk as the one to beat on ratings, and the race panned out nicely for him on a fair surface that we knew he would appreciate.

This race this evening will definitely be his toughest test to date, and the fact that four pounds splits the main protagonists on the ratings means it looks like being a very well contested race. Willie Mullins recent Navan winner Call Me Bubbles looks the one to beat, whilst Jessie Harrington's Hurricane Ridge and Michael Hourigan's Daweraan also have to be considered. In saying that, this will be the first time our horse will get the ground he needs over hurdles and he is progressing nicely so I'd like to think he goes there with every chance of finishing in the money. Davy Condon takes the ride this evening and it's a race we won last year with Discoteca, so as long as the rain stays away I'd be hopeful we could be very competitive and with a bit of luck we could carry on our good fortune in this particular event.