Neville Hotels Novice Chase (Grade 1)

WHAT looked on paper to be one of the most open Grade 1 events of the week was blown apart in spectacular fashion by Grangeclare West, who announced himself as one of the top staying novice chasers in Ireland and Britain by routing a quality field.

Willie Mullins, who had won two of the previous three runnings with Monkfish and Gaillard Du Mesnil – both going on to win at that season’s Cheltenham Festival – was relieved to avoid bumping into French missile Il Est Francais in the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase at Kempton earlier in the week with this six-length winner.

It had been a possibility that the Cheveley Park Stud-owned seven-year-old would join the same connections’ Allaho in Britain on December 26th, but this ready victory over Corbetts Cross and Flooring Porter justified the champion trainer’s decision to stay closer to home.

Corbetts Cross, sent off the 13/8 favourite, was ridden patiently and never really looked like threatening the Paul Townend-ridden 4/1 winner, despite staying on into second. Flooring Porter was better reverting to this left-handed track but came up short to the tune of 16 lengths in third.

“I didn’t expect that performance,” said Mullins.

“I was hoping he’d run well but that was a top race. Paul was worried about him pulling too hard and Paul had some job - he’d want to be as fit as he is because he just pulled his arms out for the three miles. In that ground, to do that, and win going away was a huge performance.

Townend strength

“His jumping was excellent. At the first fence he just came out of Paul’s hands and from then on Paul was just trying to settle him back because you can’t keep jumping like that over three miles. He’s just a natural chaser.

“Il Est Francais is the best horse in France and probably one of the best horses in the British Isles as well. When I saw him in the entries for Kempton I said we wouldn’t go. We’d been hearing about him since before he ran and trying to buy him but we couldn’t. He was bought to stay in France. The word about him before he ever ran was very good. He’s top class.”

On plans for the £430,000 point-to-point recruit, who was originally in training with Gordon Elliott, Mullins added: “We were asking ourselves if he could be one for the Brown Advisory, but then I nominated Fact To File for that. Maybe they’ll all go back, with Grangeclare West maybe going for the Brown Advisory and Fact To File to the Turners. We’ll see, it is a nice problem to have. We might come back here to the Dublin Racing Festival first, but I’m delighted to win a Grade 1 at Leopardstown over Christmas.”

Klassical Dream had also been a possible runner in this race, but Mullins revealed that a setback has meant he will miss the remainder of the season.