Champion owner JP McManus landed a 10th Paddy Power Chase as Perceval Legallois finally banished his reputation for being a nearly horse in Friday’s €200,000 feature at Leopardstown.
The Gavin Cromwell-trained 17-2 shot went clear from the last to ultimately win in style under jockey Mark Walsh. Midnight Our Fred was a seven-length runner-up while Pinkerton and topweight Nick Rockett filled the frame in one of the most coveted handicaps of the year.
Teasing out big handicaps is famously one of McManus’s great racing pleasures and Perceval Legallois had long been identified as having one of them in him.
He started a well-supported favourite for the Galway Plate during the summer only to make no show behind Pinkerton. He was also favourite for September’s Kerry National but couldn’t land a blow against his stable companion Flooring Porter.
Sports speak 2024: the wit and wisdom - from Damien Duff to Daniel Wiffen, Kellie Harrington to Rory McIlroy
Mouthwatering prospect as Galopin Des Champs and Fact to File renew rivalry
Denis Walsh: Irish sport’s underdog mentality has been replaced with an unabashed hunger to be the best
Perceval Legallois finally lands a big handicap prize for JP McManus with Paddy Power Chase win
Having also fallen at the last in a Leopardstown Chase, Cromwell feared his chance to land a big race might have gone. But as things went wrong for Walsh during the early stages of the race, events ultimately conspired in his favour.
Enjoying his first win in the race, Walsh explained that the favoured outside line became congested and he wound up further back in the 27-strong pack than ideal. The pay-off was the horse relaxed and started creeping his way through. After the last, that patience paid off in style.
“This horse has threatened to win a big one for a long time. He kept going up in the handicap and I thought his chance was gone, to be honest,” admitted Cromwell.
“Mark gave him a great ride, he took his time and stayed wide for the better ground. They went a right good gallop, he took his time, and everything fell right for him,” added Cromwell who also landed Limerick’s Grade Two feature with McManus’s Bioluminescence.
Day two of the Christmas festival has become synonymous with the big-race sponsor and parts of the programme resembled a festive gift to them.
The giant Jeannot Lapin landed a monster 150-1 SP in a Beginners’ Chase on his first racecourse start while a frustrating St Stephen’s Day turned into festival delight for jockey JJ Slevin when landing Grade One success on the 28-1 outsider Solness.
Having returned recently from a significant foot injury, Slevin was forced to watch from Leopardstown as his regular mount Banbridge secured King George glory under Paul Townend at Kempton.
Although limping significantly out of the saddle, Slevin’s capacity in the saddle is unaffected as he proved on Solness in the €125,000 Rewards Club Chase.
Joseph O’Brien’s red-hot form was underlined by Banbridge’s success, but even in that context forking out a €12,500 supplementary fee to allow Solness take on Gaelic Warrior & Co looked a plucky move beforehand.
However, Solness’s appreciation for good ground led to Slevin identifying the benefit of a wide route before anyone else and a field of proven Grade One performers were unable to keep tabs on him.
“Ground is important to him, and I spoke to JJ before and he felt he’d go wide and find the strip of ground he’d find. He jumped fantastic and he looked to be going very smooth all through the race,” said O’Brien.
“I’m delighted for JJ. To get a Grade One here this week is very special. He had a tough day yesterday, getting a couple of falls after being just back from injury. He gave him the most fantastic ride,” added O’Brien about his first cousin.
For the second day in a row, Sam Ewing picked right from a Gordon Elliott Grade One selection poser as the 7-4 favourite Romeo Coolio beat his stable companion Bleu De Vassy in the Future Champions Novice Hurdle.
Doubts about Romeo Coolio’s resolution, raised after defeat in the Royal Bond, were binned as he kicked from the front and made light of an awkward jump at the last.
“He had a little blip the last day. Looking at that I’d say just a fast gallop is what he needs. He looked good there today. We said after the last day we were going to go on and keep it simple. I’d imagine he’ll probably go for the supreme novices’,” said Elliott.
On top of Ewing winning the St Stephen’s Day feature on Croke Park, it leaves Elliott on 99 career Grade One wins. Ewing and Elliott also combined to land the opener with Wendrock.
Elliott’s old rival Willie Mullins endured a day-two festival blank at Leopardstown while his star novice Ballyburn was outpointed comprehensively by Sir Gino in their Kempton clash. Strutter at Limerick was his sole success of the day.
It wasn’t in the same league as Jeannot Lapin’s shock but Co Limerick trainer Colm Ryan upset the big boys in the bumper as 18-1 shot Karate King was too strong for American Jukebox in the closing stages.
A crowd of 17,735 attended the second day of action.
- Sign up for push alerts and have the best news, analysis and comment delivered directly to your phone
- Join The Irish Times on WhatsApp and stay up to date
- Listen to our Inside Politics podcast for the best political chat and analysis
