Paddy Power Chase
(Extended Handicap Chase) Leopardstown 14:55 Grade B, €150,000 3m 50y, 5yo+
Sunday 27th December 2020

1 Castlebawn West 13/2
2 Minella Times 14/1
3 Farclas 17/2
4 Trainwreck 50/1
22 ran NR: Run Wild Fred Distances: 4½l, 5½l, 4½l
Time: 6m 41.40s (slow by 56.90s)

👑 King of the Castle

An incredible performance Castlebawn West who makes virtually all off joint top-weight to capture the €150,000 Paddy Power Chase at @LeopardstownRC to complete a fine treble for @WillieMullinsNH & @PTownend pic.twitter.com/2V53izIiGM

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) December 27, 2020

With 22 runners going to post, the Willie Mullins-trained top weight Castlebawn West was initially settled in behind the pacesetters before taking over the running after jumping the first few fences under Paul Townend.

From that point he never saw another rival, with some prodigious leaps keeping the pressure on his many rivals in behind.

Minella Times, one of several runners for leading owner JP McManus, emerged as the biggest threat from the home turn, but Castlebawn West never looked in serious danger of being caught and had four and a half lengths in hand at the line.

Mullins and Townend were completing a treble on the card following the earlier Grade One victories of Chacun Pour Soi and Appreciate It.

“That was a huge performance. He was so slick jumping in front, he was getting breathers and as Paul said, the better he jumped the more confidence he got,” said Mullins

“He’d been working very well at home, but it’s hard to go into a big handicap like that with top-weight thinking he could win.

“We’ll be looking at the Aintree National or the Irish National after that. He’s probably going to handicap himself out of the Thyestes. He’s not a huge horse, but has great scope and a great technique (for jumping).”

The Paddy Power Steeplechase
Grade B, €150,000, 3m 50y, 5yo+
22 ran
Going: Yielding, Yielding to Soft in places

POS. DIST HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY SP
1       Castlebawn West 7 11-10 W P Mullins Paul Townend 13/2
2 4½ Minella Times 7 10-12 Henry De Bromhead Rachael Blackmore 14/1
3 5½ Farclas 6 11-4 Gordon Elliott Jack Kennedy 17/2
4 4½ Trainwreck 8 11-0 Henry De Bromhead E Walsh 50/1
5 1 Myth Buster 7 10-13 Henry De Bromhead Sean Flanagan 40/1
6 1 Mitchouka 6 10-12 Gearoid O'Loughlin Mr B W Harvey 20/1
7 ¾ Fitzhenry 8 11-2 Paul Nolan Jody McGarvey 25/1
8 3 Plan Of Attack 7 11-0 Henry De Bromhead Darragh O'Keeffe 40/1
9 nse Discordantly 6 11-4 Mrs John Harrington Paddy Kennedy 12/1
10 3¼ Roaring Bull 7 11-4 Gordon Elliott Gavin Brouder 22/1
11 nk Captain Cj 9 11-6 Dermot A McLoughlin Conor Maxwell 11/1
12 5½ Ten Ten 7 10-13 J P Dempsey Simon Torrens 13/2
13 1 Choungaya 7 10-12 Joseph O'Brien Donagh Meyler 33/1
14 3½ Aforementioned 7 10-12 Gordon Elliott Sean O'Keeffe 33/1
15 1 Milan Native 7 11-10 Gordon Elliott Mr R James 28/1
16 25 Speak Easy 7 11-1 Joseph O'Brien Denis O'Regan 20/1
17 17 Saturnas 9 11-7 W P Mullins David Mullins 66/1
18 28 Class Conti 8 11-9 W P Mullins Conor McNamara 50/1
PU Monbeg Notorious 9 11-2 Gordon Elliott E O'Connell 100/1
PU Dunvegan 7 11-1 P A Fahy B J Cooper 12/1
PU Lock's Corner 6 11-1 Jonjo O'Neill Mark Walsh 11/2F
PU Home By The Lee 5 11-1 Joseph O'Brien J J Slevin 8/1
NR 22 Run Wild Fred 6 10-12 Gordon Elliott NON RUNNER
NR 24 355135 Scoir Mear 10 10-11 NON RUNNER
NR 25 32F-0U Elwood 6 10-11 Gordon Elliott NON RUNNER

PREVIOUS WINNERS:
PADDY POWER HANDICAP STEEPLECHASE