JESSIES DREAM could be upped to Grade One level in the Drinmore Chase at Fairyhouse next month after his hugely impressive comeback performance at Galway on Monday.
The seven-year-old, who races in the colours of former British champion owner David Johnson, had the Cheltenham winner Berties Dream and Venalmar behind him at Ballybrit when winning under Davy Condon.
Jessies Dream was having just his third chase start but the ex-Willie Mullins-trained chestnut was described by connections afterwards as the best horse in Gordon Elliott’s stable.
Yesterday the trainer outlined plans for Jessies Dream to run next in either the Grade One Drinmore at Fairyhouse’s winter festival or in a race at Cheltenham.
“He has come out of the race 100 per cent. He’s a nice horse if everything stays right with him and we think a lot of him,” Elliott said yesterday. “He will either go to Cheltenham or Fairyhouse. Obviously I’ll have to talk to the owner.”
Aitmatov landed the odds in the Go Racing In Kildare Hurdle at Punchestown yesterday but his backers were sweating at one stage.
Noel Meade’s nine-year-old set out to make all under Paul Carberry and all appeared to be going well until three furlongs out when both Jigalo and Leblon loomed up on his quarters.
Carberry soon got his mount back on an even keel, however, and the 4 to 6 favourite found plenty and went away to beat Leblon by three lengths for his 13th career success.
