William Hill Committed To Top Prices Handicap Chase |
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| Cheltenham 14:20 £100,000 guaranteed, 4yo plus, 3m 1f, Class 2  |
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1 Senior Chief 11/1
2
The Short Go 9/1
3
Broadway Boy 9/4F
14 ran Distances: 1¼l, 11l, 3¼l
Time: 6m 18.12s (fast by 0.88s)
A one-two for @HenrydeBromhead in the @WilliamHill Committed To Top Prices Handicap Chase, as Senior Chief who travelled sweetly throughout, denies his stablemate The Short Go, ridden by Darragh O'Keeffe 🥇 pic.twitter.com/t4zFGTDOLB
— CheltenhamRacecourse (@CheltenhamRaces) October 26, 2024
Henry de Bromhead, already a Grand National winner, saw his horse Senior Chief take the first step towards a possible Aintree outing with victory here. Last seen pulling up in the Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse, the gelding son of Gentlewave bounced back to form on his seasonal return, leading home a one-two finish for de Bromhead.
Travelling powerfully throughout the race, sporting first-time cheekpieces, he eased past long-time leaders Broadway Boy and Does He Know over the penultimate fence. He was quickly joined by stablemate The Short Go, but as the pair battled up the run-in, it was Senior Chief who found more to prevail by a length and a quarter.
De Bromhead expressed his delight: "I’m thrilled for both horses. Senior Chief has always seemed like he had a big win in him, and The Short Go is progressing nicely. The team has been patient, and I’m delighted for them as they have been great supporters. Senior Chief was disappointing in the Irish Grand National, but after a good break, he's come back strong."
He added, "We were aiming for the Kerry National with Senior Chief, but he didn’t seem ready, so we targeted this race instead. We put cheekpieces on him to help him focus, and they seemed to work."
Following the race, Paddy Power introduced Senior Chief at 50-1 for the Randox Grand National, which de Bromhead hinted could be on the agenda. "We always thought he was capable of winning a big handicap. The English Grand National has always been in my mind for him, despite his performance in the Irish Grand National. I think he might prefer left-handed tracks, and while he struggled in the Irish National, I wouldn't rule out the Grand National just yet."
William Hill Handicap Chase
£100,000 guaranteed, 4yo plus, 3m 1f, Class 2
14 ran
Going: Good
POS. DIST HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY SP
1 Senior Chief 7 11-4 Henry De Bromhead Darragh O'Keeffe 11/1
2 1¼ The Short Go 7 10-2 Henry De Bromhead Jordan Gainford 9/1
3 11 Broadway Boy 6 11-11 Nigel Twiston-Davies Sam Twiston-Davies 9/4F
4 3¼ Does He Know 9 12-0 Kim Bailey Tom Bellamy 12/1
5 11 Le Milos 9 11-9 Dan Skelton Harry Skelton 9/1
6 3 Pepe Le Moko 6 10-3 Jane Williams David Noonan 12/1
7 hd Chasing Fire 7 11-2 Olly Murphy Sean Bowen 7/1
8 8 Unanswered Prayers 8 10-3 Chris Gordon Rex Dingle 20/1
9 23 Kansas City Star 7 10-6 Harry Derham Paul O'Brien 28/1
PU Escaria Ten 10 11-2 Martin Keighley Daire McConville 100/1
PU
Vanillier 9 11-10 Gavin Cromwell Keith Donoghue 16/1
PU
Kinondo Kwetu 8 11-4 Sam England Jonathan England 20/1
PU
Captain Morgs 8 11-2 Nicky Henderson James Bowen 28/1
PU
Some Scope 6 10-2 Richard Hobson Gavin Sheehan 13/2
