Philip Enright made a remarkable recovery on Surf Instructor to win the D Pack Packaging Rated Novice Chase at Limerick.
He looked certain to be unseated when thrown to the right after Henry de Bromhead’s five-year-old made a hash of the last fence. However, Enright got back on an even keel and forced Surf Instructor (9-2) up to land the spoils by half a length, despite having his feet out of the irons.
Enright said: “He got close to a couple of fences up the back, but jumped very well throughout. He winged the second-last and I thought I had a chance going to the last, but he kind of banked it for some strange reason.
Take a bow @ptenright! To not only stay aboard Surf Instructor but to also win at @LimerickRaces: pic.twitter.com/xCfieXA6RQ
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) December 28, 2017
“Thankfully someone was looking down on me and pushed me back into the saddle.
“He really got going in the last 100 yards and it wasn’t until his mistake at the last that he really came alive.
“It happened that quick I didn’t know what happened, but I was very close to being gone — thankfully we had luck on our side.”
French import Duca De Thaix landed his first success since joining Gordon Elliott’s stable when taking the feature Irish Independent Hurdle.
The four-year-old, owned by Gigginstown House Stud, showed the benefit of his return from a 13-month absence at Naas 47 days earlier by outstaying long-time leader Us And Them in the Grade Three prize.
There was nothing between the two protagonists at the final flight, but Duca De Thaix (4-1) jumped it better and strode away from Us And Them on the level to score by two and a half lengths in the hands of Jonathan Moore.
Elliott's representative Ian Amond said: "He had a good run the first day, but he got tired and came on from it. He handled the ground well and he has obviously come on from his first run.
“We fancied him the last day and he travelled up like the winner in a decent race.”
