Tapenade can only leave sour taste at Limerick

Following on from his best run for the club last time out there was some optimism that Tapenade could finally start to show the Gordon Elliott Racing Club some form. This was another maiden hurdle as he is still waiting for his handicap mark but he stepped up in trip to 2m 4f. Davy Russell was onboard again and the Jockey/Trainer combo saw them go off favourites.

The Scorpion gelding was handy early on, Davy standing high in the saddle and they soon took the lead. He was jumping quite well on the first circuit but as the race went on he seemed a lot more ponderous as he approached the jumps. He looked to be travelling well enough until they hit the final bend when he was already being ridden and the game looked up. Table The Motion and Shedding took the lead with By The Same Token and Cloudybackwest coming up on the outside also. Soon the half brother of Might Bite was battling just to stay with the new leaders but was then also passed by Ellipsism and Lough Sewdy. As they went over the second last, it was looking like a two horse race between Shedding and Cloudybackwest, both carrying 11st 12lb, the former had a 5lb claimer and the latter had 7lb taken off by his rider but it was Shedding who held on to win by a length for WJ Burke and Darragh O'Keefe. This was not Enable versus Crystal Ocean where disparagers are now saying that Enable only won because she had a 3lb mares allowance. I wouldn't bet against her upping her game again if they went off level weights.

Tapenade was a long, long way behind but was eased off after his race was run. Some of the club members were looking for the positives - he had a good cruising speed and he looks like an out and out chaser while others weren't so positive about the run. He's 5 year old now and maybe that is young for a chaser. He has another entry this week in a 3 mile odd hurdle at Perth and it looks like he's been given a mark of 102 for that and he'll have first time blinkers on as well if he's declared.