Highland Crystal maintains her unbeaten record in Naas opener

Highland Crystal maintained her unbeaten record when making it three wins from as many starts over hurdles in the SR Ventilation Supporting Kill GAA Rated Hurdle at Naas.

The Gordon Elliott-trained filly was a little uneasy in the market at 11/8 as punters latched onto Kilmeaden who was supported into 11/10 favourite from early morning quotes of 9/2.

The well backed favourite couldn’t find any extra approaching the last and it was Saratoga who threw down a serious challenge to the always prominent Highland Crystal.

The pair were separated by the width of the track as they battled it out on the run-in, and it was Jack Kennedy’s mount who proved the stronger on the near side to score by three-quarters of a length.

The pair pulled eight and a half lengths clear of Munsif in third.

Elliott said, “She’s tough. She gave herself a little nick and Jack said she was leaning a little bit right the whole way up the straight.

“She’s gutsy. He said it wasn’t really ideal being in front either as she was looking around the whole way. She picked up and galloped.

“The (race) conditions weren’t really right for her here. She’s probably more of a Fred Winter filly really but we’ll see what mark she gets.

“She could maybe be a filly that we keep for Fairyhouse over two-and-a-half miles; it might suit her better.

“She’s black-type now and she’s won three races so she’s very gutsy.”

Elliott also gave an update on Honesty Policy who has sidestepped an engagement in the Boyne Hurdle at Navan tomorrow saying, “The ground was just so heavy. You imagine he’ll go straight to Cheltenham now.

“I was very keen to run him, but the ground was so heavy that I didn’t want to pull the legs out of him. He’s not the biggest horse in the world.

“We’ll get a racecourse gallop into him somewhere.”

Quotes by Gary Carson