Timeless Treaty, ridden by Jack Kennedy and trained by Gordon Elliott, secured victory in the Grade Three BOYLE Sports Michael Purcell Memorial Novice Hurdle at Thurles Racecourse on Thursday, February 19, 2026. The six-year-old Irish gelding finished ahead of Bon Viveur, trained by W.P. Mullins, by a significant margin.
The race, contested over 2m 4f 175y on soft to heavy turf, featured a field of four runners. Timeless Treaty led after disputing the lead two out, asserting its dominance and extending its advantage in the run-in, ultimately winning “very easily” according to race reports. The winning time was recorded at 6m 3.80s.
Open Secret, also trained by Gordon Elliott and ridden by Jordan Gainford, initially led but was overtaken by Timeless Treaty before the last hurdle, finishing in third place. Parnell Street, trained by A. Slattery and ridden by Cian Quirke, chased the leaders but faded in the final stretch, finishing fourth.
According to pre-race analysis from the Irish Examiner, Timeless Treaty was favored to win, having scored a victory at the same course earlier in the month. The analysis highlighted the horse’s potential for further progress despite appearing exposed in previous handicap races.
The race offered a total prize fund of €30,000, with the winner receiving €18,000, the second-place finisher receiving €6,000, and the third-place finisher receiving €3,000. Tote Win returned €15.00, EX returned €45.20, Trifecta returned €83.20 and SF returned €41.54.
The victory marks a continued successful partnership between trainer Gordon Elliott and jockey Jack Kennedy. Last year’s winner of the race was Jacob’s Ladder, also trained by Gordon Elliott.
