Jack de Bromhead Christmas Hurdle |
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| Grade 1, Leopardstown 13:45 €100,000 guaranteed, 4yo plus, 3m, Class 1  |
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1 Home By The Lee 7/1
2 Ashdale Bob 14/1
3
Meet And Greet 50/1
11 ran Distances: 3l, ½l, hd
Time: 6m 22.20s (slow by 43.20s)
Home By The Lee wins the first Jack de Bromhead Christmas Hurdle for @JosephOBrien2 and JJ Slevin @LeopardstownRC pic.twitter.com/Sxq9UyYTj6 https://t.co/CsgU4u3Vo1 via @RacingBetter
— RacingBetter (@RacingBetter) December 28, 2022
Joseph O’Brien’s Home By The Lee knuckled down to see off the strong-travelling Bob Olinger, with Ashdale Bob and dual Stayers’ Hurdle hero Flooring Porter back in third and fourth.
All four were again in action in this three-mile Grade One, with Bob Olinger the marginal favourite to provide Henry de Bromhead with victory in a race named in memory of his late son, just ahead of Flooring Porter at 2-1.
The latter adopted his customary pacesetting role under Danny Mullins, while Bob Olinger was given a more patient ride under Rachael Blackmore.
But it became clear leaving the back straight that both of the market principals were in trouble, with Flooring Porter picked up by both 7-1 shot Home By The Lee and Ashdale Bob, while Bob Olinger found little once push came to shove.
Ashdale Bob looked to be travelling best of all on the approach to the final flight, but it was Home By The Lee who saw out the distance best under JJ Slevin to score by three lengths.
QuinnBet cut the winner to 6-1 from 20-1 for the Stayers’ Hurdle, a race in which he finished sixth last season.
O’Brien said: “I was actually worried how well he was travelling through the race because he never does travel well. I thought he was going to waste too much energy travelling and jumping well but he’s a really good stayer.
“He keeps finding and even when he got to the front, he pricked his ears again.
“I was surprised he beat Bob Olinger in Navan but he really was going well. He was discounted in the betting but we hoped he’d be placed and then come here.
“He’s always been a fairly good horse. He was a good novice chaser and then lost his confidence jumping fences and we came back hurdling.
“He’ll probably go straight to Cheltenham now for the Stayers’. He likes getting into a nice rhythm and wasn’t beaten a million miles in it last year. He looks a better horse this year.”
Leopardstown Christmas Hurdle
3m , Race Value: €100,000, Grade 1
11 ran
Going: Soft
1 Home By The Lee 7 11-10 Joseph O'Brien J J Slevin 7/1
2 3 Ashdale Bob 7 11-10 Mrs John Harrington Keith Donoghue 14/1
3 ½ Meet And Greet 6 11-10 Oliver McKiernan Phillip Enright 50/1
4 hd Flooring Porter t 7 11-10 Gavin Cromwell Danny Mullins 2/1
5 15 Bob Olinger 7 11-10 Henry De Bromhead Rachael Blackmore 7/4F
6 6½ Saldier 8 11-10 W P Mullins Paul Townend 40/1
7 22 Commander Of Fleet 8 11-10 Gordon Elliott Sam Ewing 40/1
8 ¾ Mr Adjudicator 8 11-10 W P Mullins Brian Hayes 100/1
PU Sire Du Berlais 10 11-10 Gordon Elliott Mark Walsh 22/1
PU Beacon Edge 8 11-10 Noel Meade B J Cooper 28/1
PU Zanahiyr 5 11-10 Gordon Elliott Jack Kennedy 6/1
