GOFFS THYESTES

HANDICAP CHASE

A HANDICAP performance of the very highest quality from Champagne West ensured that a landmark season for Henry de Bromhead moved on to a new high in the Goffs Thyestes Chase.

Even at this stage of the campaign de Bromhead is on course for a personal best tally across all categories and this result is a standout. Some 25 years after the trainer’s father, Harry, struck Thyestes gold with Grand Habit, the David Mullins-ridden Champagne West produced a weight carrying display par excellence.

Formerly based in Britain, Champagne West won a listed chase at Tramore on New Year’s Day on his second start for de Bromhead. A rating of 154 and giving weight all round meant that the Roger Brookhouse-owned gelding faced a vastly different test here but he produced a display that would befit a proper Grade 1 performer.

This season Gordon Elliott has exerted a vice-like grip on the country’s Grade A handicap chases but de Bromhead’s Stellar Notion came within touching distance of ending that domination in last Sunday’s Leopardstown Chase. On that occasion, the Mullins-ridden and Brookhouse-owned representative got mugged in the shadow of the post. Similar front-running tactics were employed in this race but Champagne West was never going to be denied in the closing stages.

He almost looked as though he was at his strongest then, which raises the possibility of the Westerner gelding tackling such exalted prizes as the Gold Cup or the Aintree Grand National.

In the race itself, the well-backed 7/1 joint second favourite made his intentions clear from the outset as he went straight to the front. He was kept company by last season’s Irish National hero Rogue Angel and the pair of them produced an exemplary display of jumping.

Previously Champagne West has given some cause for concern with his jumping but there were no such worries here and the only blemish on his round came when he made an error at the fourth last. That failed to stop him and as he faced up to the last three fences the Elliott-trained Ucello Conti was his only danger.

The latter did his utmost to close in as he looked to improve on last year’s third place finish but he could never get close enough to land a telling blow. At the line Champagne West had seven and a half lengths to spare over Ucello Conti with the 13/2 joint favourite Bonny Kate back in third and Pleasant Company securing fourth.

“Roger has given us some lovely horses and it’s fantastic for him and I thought that David gave the horse a beautiful ride,” said the winning trainer. “This horse isn’t an easy ride but we’ve felt that the best thing is not to get too involved with him and David sat very quietly on him and the horse jumped great apart from the fourth last.”

“He probably has to be a Grade 1 horse to win a good handicap like that with the weight that he was carrying. There is the Red Mills Chase back here next month and he has a few entries including the Gold Cup at Cheltenham. He will definitely get an entry in the Grand National at Aintree as well.”

“It’s been a fantastic season and we’re lucky to have a great team, some great owners and some lovely horses. It’s lovely to win a race like this as well.

“I remember when my father won it with Grand Habit in 1991. He had another winner, Bishops Hall, that day and I did a £1 each way double on the pair of them, I don’t think I was found for a week!,” concluded the trainer.