Paddy's Rewards Club Chase
Grade 1, Leopardstown 13:12
€125,000 guaranteed,
5yo plus,
2m 1f, Class 1  
Saturday 27th December 2025

1 Solness 8/1
2 Marine Nationale 2/1
3 Majborough 6/4F
7 ran Distances: ½l, 2¾l, 18l
Time: 4m 11.90s (fast by 1.10s)

Solness confirmed his affinity for Leopardstown with a stirring success, once again proving just too strong for a courageous Marine Nationale in a pulsating Grade One.

Only half a length separated the pair at the line, yet the result told only part of the story. Barry Connell’s Marine Nationale and Sean Flanagan had every excuse after a dreadful mid-race blunder that threatened to end their challenge, but an extraordinary recovery saw them surge back into contention. To their immense credit, they arrived almost upsides Solness at the final fence, with Majborough poised just in behind.

However, it was Joseph O’Brien’s Solness, sent off at 8-1 and ridden by Sam Ewing in place of the sidelined J J Slevin, who again found most when it mattered, edging out his rival to claim back-to-back victories in the race.

“He’s very good here in Leopardstown,” said O’Brien, who came close to successive King George VI Chase victories at Kempton Park on Boxing Day with Banbridge.

“I don’t know what it is, we tend to keep him wide looking for the better ground and he likes being in lots of space and it seems to work.

“My heart goes out to J J who was stood down with concussion after the last race. He’s done all the hard work on the horse, but Sam gave him a fantastic ride.

“The horse is as tough as nails, and it was a great race. It was a great run from Marine Nationale after making that mistake early.

“He’ll come back here for the Dublin Racing Festival. The track suits him as he likes to be ridden aggressively and the drier ground here.”

In the wake of the contest, Paddy Power shortened Solness to 20-1 from 50s for the Champion Chase in March, but it was Marine Nationale who made the biggest move in the market, now sharing favouritism at 11-4 with Il Etait Temps. Majborough was eased to 8-1 from 5-1.

BoyleSports

Paddy's Rewards Club Chase
 €125,000 guaranteed, 5yo plus, 2m 1f, Class 1
7 ran
Going: Yielding, Good to Yielding in places

POS. DIST HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY SP
1    Solness 7 11-12 Joseph O'Brien J J Slevin 8/1
2 ½ Marine Nationale 8 11-12 Barry Connell Sean Flanagan 2/1
3 2¾ Majborough 5 11-12 W P Mullins Mark Walsh 6/4F
4 18 Found A Fifty 8 11-12 Gordon Elliott Jack Kennedy 9/2
5 6 Only By Night 7 11-5 Gavin Cromwell Keith Donoghue 12/1
6 18 Captain Guinness 10 11-12 Henry De Bromhead Darragh O'Keeffe 40/1
PU Hercule Du Seuil 8 11-12 W P Mullins Paul Townend 33/1

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