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Pertemps Hurdle winner scores on chase debut

Delta Work (left)Delta Work (left)
© Photo Healy Racing

Cheltenham Festival winner Delta Work made a winning chase debut at Down Royal today when landing the Porter & Co. Beginners Chase for trainer Gordon Elliott, owner Michael O'Leary's Gigginstown House Stud and jockey Davy Russell.

The five year old gelding won the Pertemps Final at Cheltenham last March before filling second place in a Punchestown Grade 1 novice hurdle and today returned to action with a hard-fought neck win over Niven with Elliott's Ben Dundee finishing a further neck away in third.

Elliott's Samcro had met with defeat in the earlier Grade 2 WKD Hurdle and following Delta Work's win, the Gold Cup and Grand National winning trainer stated “I thought he (Delta Work) threw it away at the last, he jumped well other than that and we got away with it so we are happy.

"He battled well, he's a tough horse and a good horse. We can build on that and see where we go."

Quotes from Michael Graham

About Tom Weekes
A lifelong racing fan, Tom began writing point to point reports in 2002 and has reported for irishracing.com since 2003, when he joined Irish Racing Services - since taken over by the Press Association. Has ridden a point to point winner and won the 2018 Irish Field Naps Table.