JNwine.com Champion Chase |
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| Grade 1, Down Royal 14:30 £140,000 added, 5yo plus, 3m |
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| Saturday 1st November 2014 | |
1 Road To Riches 9/2
2 Rocky Creek 9/2
3 Boston Bob 9/4F
8 ran Distances: 11l, 18l, 21l
TIME 6m 25.50s (slow by 40.50s)
Galway Plate winner Road To Riches steps up from Handicap form to Grade 1 company & wins the JNwine.com Champion Chase
Road To Riches is 16-1 for the Cheltenham Gold Cup with William Hill
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Winner of the Galway Plate in the summer, the Noel Meade-trained seven-year-old was race-fit having been beaten a head by Sizing Europe over two and a half miles at the start of last month, and Paul Carberry was positive from the off.
The 9-2 chance jumped to his left on occasion but was always seemingly travelling within himself and had everything on the stretch going to two out, before safely negotiating the final couple of fences and running on strongly to see off Rocky Creek, with favourite Boston Bob third.
Cheltenham Gold Cup runner-up On His Own was the first of the principals to be beaten.
Carberry said: "He got his own way today, which was a big help - I was able to get a couple of breathers into him. His jumping definitely made a difference. He did (go left) a small bit, but when he jumped the good ones he was making lengths.
"I saw the boys after the fourth-last niggling away, so I was happy enough to get another breather into him. He's very game and kept galloping all the way to the line. He's a very exciting prospect."
Eddie O'Leary, racing manger for owners Gigginstown House Stud, added: "His jumping is getting there and three miles is not a problem. I think we'll keep him fresh, not go to the well too often, and the Lexus hopefully is the plan now."
JNwine.com Champion Steeplechase
£140,000 added, 5yo plus, 3m
8 ran
Going: Soft, Good to Soft in places
| Horse SP Jockey | Weight | Trainer | Age | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Road To Riches (IRE) 9/2 P Carberry |
11-10 | N Meade | 7 |
| 2 | Rocky Creek (IRE) 9/2 S Twiston-Davies |
11-10 | P F Nicholls | 8 |
| 3 | Boston Bob (IRE) 9/4f R Walsh |
11-10 | W P Mullins | 9 |
| 4 | First Lieutenant (IRE) 7/1 B J Cooper |
11-10 | M F Morris | 9 |
| Also Ran: On His Own (IRE) , Realt Mor (IRE) , Tammys Hill (IRE) , Ma Filleule (FR) | ||||
