JNwine.com Champion

Chase (Grade 1)

THE decision to supplement last year’s second, Road To Respect, into the JNwine.com Champion Chase paid off for Gigginstown House Stud last Saturday when the 6/4 favourite carried the maroon and white colours to a sixth consecutive success in the Grade 1 feature at Down Royal.

Held up for much of the three-mile trip, the Noel Meade-trained Gamut gelding jumped right into contention at the fourth last fence. The seven-year-old headed the longtime leader, Woodland Opera, after the next with Sean Flanagan then sending the chesnut clear to score by 16 lengths. Last year’s winner, Outlander, was a length and three-quarters back in third.

“When he took that enormous leap at the fourth or fifth last, he just jumped onto the bridle,” said Meade of his Ivy Rothwell-bred charge.

“Sean said he was off the bridle just doing nothing behind and only jumping ordinary but, when he picked him up, he just went onto it straight away. He latched onto it and was just cantering from there to the line.

“We knew he was in tremendous form but we have never brought him to the races as heavy – he’s about 20kg heavier than he was at his best having done very well over the summer.

“The guys that ride him at home, Sean and Damian McGillick, were fully confident that he was 100% .

“We felt last year in this race that we lost it because the race in Punchestown nearly killed him because it was only two weeks before it. He was a little tired. He jumped a lot straighter today and was very uncomplicated and was very good.

“It’s onward and upwards. I presume it will be Christmas, I would imagine it would be Leopardstown next but I will have to talk to Michael and Eddie. And then, all roads lead to Cheltenham for the Gold Cup, I would presume. Whether he would run in the Irish Gold Cup we will see.”

Road To Respect, who won the Christmas Chase at Leopardstown last December before finishing fourth in the Cheltenham Gold Cup and then third in the Punchestown Gold Cup, ran in a double ring snaffle.

“He only wears it at the races, it seems to settle him,” commented Meade who also paid tribute to the team in his Co Meath yard.

Meade and Flanagan notch-up a treble

REST OF THE CARD

THE win of Road To Respect in the featured Grade 1 JNwine Champion Chase was the middle leg of a treble for trainer Noel Meade and jockey Sean Flanagan which they filled in the near two-and-a-half-mile Grade 2 MyCarNeedsA.com Chase with Snow Falcon.

The eight-year-old Presenting gelding raced close to the pace, took up the running two out from Shattered Love, and stayed on well out to beat that rival by one and a half lengths. The longtime leader, 6/4 favourite and best turned out winner, Monalee, was five lengths further adrift in third.

“This has always been a lucky meeting for me,” said Meade before commenting of the winner, “he’s a lovely, genuine horse.

“He won the Kerry National and deserved to win a race like this. We’ll give him a bit of time as he runs better when he doesn’t run too often and when there’s a bit of a dig in the ground.

“He’ll be entered in all those big races at Christmas as he does stay three miles. He’s entered in the Ladbrokes Trophy at Newbury but will probably end up with too much weight. If Coneygree or something like that stayed in it, it might be a possibility but I wouldn’t be keen to go over there and carry top weight.”

The Meade/Flanagan treble was initiated in the Tayto Group Maiden Hurdle over an extended two miles by Brace Yourself who, leading before the final flight, justified 6/4 favouritism by a length on his hurdling debut from Defi Bleu whose never-nearer stable-companion Batts Rock was half a length back in third.

Having unseated his rider at the third, The Big Galloper caused plenty of problems running loose throughout the race and the once-clear leader Raya Time did well to finish fifth having collided with the wing of the fourth-last flight when attempting to run out.

“I don’t know if he won a point-to-point (second at Portrush last October), but we bought him from Warren Ewing and he came highly recommended,” said Meade of the successful Mahler five-year-old.

“He won his bumper by a long way here last Christmas but we decided to keep him as a novice for this season. I’m sure he wants farther than two miles. He jumped great. It was a funny sort of race with that loose one but I’d say the best horse won.”

Snow Falcon and Brace Yourself are owned by Belfast’s Patricia Hunt, whose distinctive cerise colours were also carried to victory in the opening maiden hurdle on Friday by First Approach.

Always happy to let Noel Meade do the talking about their horses, the owner’s husband Paul commented of the Co Meath trainer: “Noel did quite a remarkable thing for us over the two days as we had four runners and three winners.

“You have to enjoy these moments as, in racing, there can be plenty of down times. I have the utmost respect for Noel who is a top man and a top trainer and has been for some time.”

STAYED ON

Gordon Elliott, who sent out Delta Work to win on day one of the Northern Ireland Festival, recorded a first and last race double at Down Royal on Saturday.

The Co Meath trainer was treble-handed in the opening Value Cabs three-year-old Hurdle where the market got it right as, on his jumping debut and second career start, Chris Jones’s Coeur Sublime justified 8/11 favouritism under Bryan Cooper.

The Elusive Pimpernel gelding, who won a Navan maiden by a head in April for the Peter Fahey yard, hit the front two out and, overcoming a mistake at the last, stayed on well to beat the longtime, rallying leader Our Legend by one and a half lengths.

“We think he is a nice horse and he will come on a lot for today as this his first time on grass,” said Elliott of the winner. “He will go to Fairyhouse next. It’s great for Chris to have another good horse as he puts a lot into the game.”

The absent owner was represented by his sister Clare and his son Andrew.

The Cheveley Park Stud colours were carried to a hugely impressive victory in the concluding Daily Mirror (Pro-Am) Flat Race by the track newcomer Malone Road who headed the market at odds of 2/5.

The Kalanisi gelding, who cost £325,000 at the Goffs UK Aintree Sale following his win in a Loughanmore maiden on his sole pointing start for Stuart Crawford, led at what the trainer referred to as “a nice honest gallop”. He then sprinted clear inside the last in the hands of Jamie Codd to beat the far more experienced Valdieu by seven and a half lengths.

“We’ve a nice bunch of young horses at home and this is one of them,” remarked Elliott. “Cheveley Park were very good to buy him and send him to me.

“He’ll go for a winners’ bumper probably at Navan – I like Navan. He’d probably be better on softer ground but good horses go on most ground.”

WELL DESERVED

Trim trainer Tony Martin had a terrible start to his weekend when losing the promising Only Whispers in the bumper on Friday but, ahead of winning the November Handicap at Naas on Sunday with John Breslin’s Mr Everest, he landed the Billecart-Salmon Handicap Hurdle here with the same owner’s Golden Spear.

The seven-year-old Kyllachy gelding, who had last visited the winner’s enclosure in late October 2016, was settled in mid-division by Eoin O’Connell who sent him up into contention before two out.

The chesnut took over the running from Shanning after that flight and, in spite of flattening the final hurdle, easily repelled that 13/8 favourite by five lengths.

“He deserved a good pot like that,” commented Martin of Golden Spear. “He ran a lovely race in the Cesarewitch in England three weeks ago. He has been consistent all his life and every year he keeps doing his job. We’ll keep tipping away with him.”

The only Northern trainer to send out a winner over the weekend was Keith Watson whose wife Claire’s colours were carried to success in the Rainbow Communications Handicap Chase by joint-bottom-weight He Knows My Name.

Ridden by Andrew Ring, the nine-year-old Kayf Tara mare, who won two point-to-points and a hunters’ chase last season, led at the final fence and then went clear to beat Carlitos Bay by four lengths.

“I’m delighted for Mum and Dad,” said assistant trainer Marshall Watson. “This was the plan all spring – to have a winner at the Festival.”

ACTING STEWARDS:

R.S. Martin, R.W. Steele, C.P. Magnier, B. Polly, M.F. O’Donoghue.

HORSES TO FOLLOW:

RAYA TIME (H. de

Bromhead): One would imagine that this Killarney bumper winner, who was having his first start over hurdles on Saturday and his first run for his new trainer, will know his job better the next day so he can recoup some of his £150,000 purchase price.