Gordon Elliott sends four in search of sixth Star success

The Storyteller spearheads trainer’s Punchestown team.

Gordon Elliott is mob-handed in his bid to claim a sixth victory in the Irish Daily Star Salutes Our Frontline Heroes Chase at Punchestown on Wednesday.

Cheltenham Gold Cup hero War Of Attrition won the first two renewals of the Grade Three contest for Mouse Morris in 2005 and 2006, before going on to add a third victory in 2008.

Elliott first got his name on the roll of honour with Roi Du Mee, who claimed back-to-back runnings in 2011 and 2012, before adding to his tally with Toner D’Oudairies in 2013 and saddling his Gold Cup winner Don Cossack to score in both 2014 and 2015.

This year the trainer’s chief contender could be The Storyteller, who has race fitness on his side having been on the go during the summer.

A winner at the Cheltenham Festival in 2018, the nine-year-old has won over fences and hurdles at Galway this term and was last seen finishing second to Easy Game in the PWC Champion Chase at Gowran Park.

Elliott said: “The Storyteller is in great form. He’s very fit, so you’d be hopeful, and he’s getting all the allowances.”

The Storyteller, the mount of Keith Donoghue, is joined by a trio of stable companions in Alpha Des Obeaux (Bryan Cooper), high-class mare Shattered Love (Mark Walsh) and Ravenhill (Denis O’Regan).

“Alpha Des Obeaux is in good form. He’ll come on a bit from the run, he always comes on from his first run,” Elliott added.

“Shattered Love is getting all the allowances, but she’s not getting any younger. Her work probably isn’t what it was.

“Ravenhill, we’re just sort of pot hunting with him, and we’ll see what happens.”

Alpha Des Obeaux and Shattered Love are two of four runners for Gigginstown House Stud along with Henry de Bromhead’s Balko Des Flos and Tout Est Permis from Noel Meade’s yard.

Jessica Harrington saddles last year’s winner Jett and Dermot McLoughlin’s Freewheelin Dylan completes the field.

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