Paddy's Rewards Club Chase |
 |
| Grade 1, Leopardstown 13:10 €100,000 5yo plus, 2m 1f, Class 1  |
|
| Friday 27th December 2019 | |
1 A Plus Tard 4/1
2
Chacun Pour Soi 8/15F
3
Ordinary World 33/1
8 ran Distances: 3¾l, 6½l, 18l
Time: 4m 8.30s (slow by 2.30s)
A Plus Tard upsets the applecart in the Grade 1 Paddy's Reward Club "Sugar Paddy" Chase at @LeopardstownRC 😱
— Horse Racing Ireland (@HRIRacing) December 27, 2019
The @HenrydeBromhead-trained horse rides away from odds-on favourite Chacun Pour Soi to take a huge victory 🏆 pic.twitter.com/mZIEy9Z1CX
Chacun Pour Soi was unbeaten in two previous outings for Willie Mullins – and having claimed the notable scalp of Defi Du Seuil at the Punchestown Festival, he was the 8-15 favourite for his seasonal reappearance.
With his stable companions Cadmium and Great Field ensuring a strong gallop in front, Chacun Pour Soi travelled kindly in behind under Paul Townend and moved ominously to the lead after jumping the second fence from home.
However, Rachael Blackmore covered the move aboard the Henry de Bromhead-trained Cheltenham Festival winner A Plus Tard – who finished second in last month’s Fortria Chase at Navan – and the pair settled down to fight it out in the straight.
There was little to choose between the pair jumping the final obstacle, but with the benefit of a recent outing, A Plus Tard finished the stronger and passed the post almost four lengths to the good.
RaceBets cut the winner to 4-1 from 33-1 for the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham in March, a race his trainer has previously won with Sizing Europe (2011) and Special Tiara (2017), and 7-1 from 16-1 for the Ryanair Chase.
De Bromhead said: “He had some great runs last year as a novice and I was happy with his first run back this season. We knew he’d come on plenty for it, but the favourite was so impressive last year it looked like he’d be difficult to beat over this trip.
“I wasn’t convinced this was our trip, but the softened ground helped and he jumped great.
“We’ll probably enter him now in the Champion Chase, but in my head he was always going for the Ryanair.
“I think ground would come into play as regards plans (for Cheltenham). He’ll probably come back for the two-mile race here in February.”
It was a second Grade One at the meeting for De Bromhead and Blackmore after the victory of Notebook on the opening day.
De Bromhead added: “Rachael always seems to be in the right place at the right time and she just keeps riding winners. She’s a pleasure to work with and wants it as much as all of us.
“We’re very lucky to have her.”
Paddy's Rewards Club Chase
€100,000, 5yo plus, 2m 1f, Class 1
8 ran
Going: Soft, Yielding in places
1 A Plus Tard 5 11-12 Henry De Bromhead Rachael Blackmore 4/1
2 3¾ Chacun Pour Soi 7 11-12 W P Mullins Paul Townend 8/15F
3 6½ Ordinary World 9 11-12 Henry De Bromhead Sean Flanagan 33/1
4 18 Simply Ned 12 11-12 Nicky Richards Mark Walsh 7/1
5 25 Cadmium 7 11-12 W P Mullins Brian Hayes 14/1
6 14 Jetz 7 11-12 Mrs John Harrington Barry Geraghty 28/1
F Hardline 7 11-12 Gordon Elliott Jack Kennedy 13/2
PU Great Field 8 11-12 W P Mullins Jody McGarvey 16/1
