IN a Savills Chase that featured a galaxy of stars, Affordale Fury proved quite the surprise Christmas act for Noel Meade - though it certainly wasn’t a surprise to everyone given he was sent off at 7/1, only half a point bigger than the reigning Cheltenham Gold Cup winner.

Without taking anything away from Noel Meade, Sam Ewing and Philip Polly, who deserve major credit for rolling the dice while being rated 19lb inferior to Galopin Des Champs, the 2025 Savills had the feel of a race that wasn’t peak target for many of the winner’s key rivals.