Growise Champion Novice Chase |
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| Grade 1, Punchestown 18:40 Race Value: €100,000 5yo plus 3m 1f  |
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| Tuesday 25th April 2017 |
1 Disko 13/8F
2
Anibale Fly 3/1
3 A Genie In Abottle 8/1
7 ran Distances: 5l, ¾l, 5½l
Time: 6m 27.60s (slow by 28.60s)
Disko wins for trainer Noel Meade in the hands of Bryan Cooper
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The Gigginstown House Stud-owned grey was given a positive ride, cutting out the running with Acapella Bourgeois.
Disko kicked on from three out and was in no danger from that point as he quickly pulled clear of the opposition to score by five lengths and record his second Grade One triumph of the season.
Tony Martin's Anibale Fly was in second place, with A Genie In Abottle taking third place for Meade and Gigginstown.
Meade said: "I've always loved him and he's been the apple of my eye for a long time.
"Mags (O'Toole) and Eddie (O'Leary) found him in a small yard in France. He's never stopped developing since we got him and we've always thought he was very good.
"We had one or two setbacks but very little and most things he'd done well. It does appear that good ground suits him really well.
"Even thinking back to Leopardstown his good runs were there and I suppose when he ran in Cheltenham he ran against one of the best horses we've seen for quite a while in Yorkhill.
"You'd always hope he'd win like that, but you couldn't imagine he'd win as easy as that - he won very well. I thought he'd win as he was sparkling last week when we worked him.
"He didn't come out of Cheltenham that well. We did think about running him in the Ryanair Gold Cup at Fairyhouse but we did a piece of work with him and thought that he needed another bit.
"Road To Respect went to the race at Fairyhouse and it all worked out very well."
He added: "We've had a great season and will be kind of sorry to see the end of it in a way. We've got some lovely horses. Gigginstown have been very good to us with the horses they've sent to us. It's easier to train good ones than bad ones.
"I never really doubted he would stay the trip. Probably Our Duke is as strong a stayer as there is and he was coming back on him in Leopardstown that day.
"I wasn't worried about three miles on that ground. In fact I would say if we made a mistake at Cheltenham it was running him in the wrong race. Anyway we got it right today and I'm thrilled.
"He hasn't had a real hard season. We picked his races and he didn't get one on top of the other. He should improve in the summer and we can dream for another while.
"Everybody would love to dream about the Gold Cup, but that's a dream on it's own. Isn't it great to have a horse you can run in a Grade One. He's won a Grade One by six lengths.
"The other horse (A Genie In Abottle) ran a blinder as well on ground he maybe wouldn't have liked that much, but I don't know - maybe he does like it.
"I've no doubt that Road To Respect will get three miles as well. I suppose if he was here today and Disko wasn't he might have won that race as well. We'd expect him to beat A Genie In Abottle. They are two lovely horses and hopefully they stay right."
Growise Champion Novice Chase (Grade 1)
€100,000 added, 5yo plus, 3m 1f, Class 1
7 ran
Going: Good to Yielding
| Pos | D | Horse SP | Jockey Weight | Trainer | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Disko (FR) 13/8f | B J Cooper 11-10 |
N Meade | 6 | |
| 2nd | 5 | Anibale Fly (FR) 3/1 | M P Walsh 11-10 |
A J Martin | 7 |
| 3rd | ¾ | A Genie In Abottle (IRE) 8/1 | S W Flanagan 11-10 |
N Meade | 6 |
| 4th | 5½ | A Toi Phil (FR) 12/1 | J W Kennedy 11-10 |
G Elliott | 7 |
| 5th | 9 | Acapella Bourgeois (FR) 9/2 | R Loughran 11-10 |
M S Sandra Hughes | 7 |
| 6th | 1¾ | Alpha Des Obeaux (FR) 8/1 | D J Mullins 11-10 |
M F Morris | 7 |
| UR | Velocity Boy (IRE) 40/1 | B M Cash 11-10 |
William P Murphy | 8 |
Past Results:
Year Horse Age/Wt Owner Trainer Jockey SP
2016 Zabana 7-11-10 Chris Jones Andrew Lynch Davy Russell 7/2
2015 Valseur Lido 6-11-10 Gigginstown House Stud Willie Mullins Ruby Walsh 15/2
2014 Carlingford Lough 8-11-10 J P McManus John Kiely A P McCoy 7/2
2013 Mount Benbulben 8-11-10 Barry Connell Gordon Elliott Danny Mullins 14/1
2012 Sir Des Champs 6-11-10 Gigginstown House Stud Willie Mullins Davy Russell 2/7 Fav
2011 Quito De La Roque 7-11-10 Gigginstown House Stud Colm Murphy Davy Russell 7/2
2010 Kempes 7-11-10 J P McManus Willie Mullins A P McCoy 9/1
2009 Rare Bob 7-11-10 D A Syndicate Dessie Hughes Paddy Flood 7/1
2008 Air Force One 6-11-10 Brian Walsh (Co. Kildare) Charlie Mann GB Noel Fehily 2/1
2007 Offshore Account 7-11-10 Brian Polly Charlie Swan Denis O’Regan 16/1
2006 Missed That 7-11-10 Violet O’Leary Willie Mullins David Casey 4/1
2005 Forget The Past 7-11-10 Sean Mulryan Michael O’Brien Timmy Murphy 7/4 Fav
2004 Lord Sam 8-11-08 Plain Peeps Victor Dartnall GB Jim Culloty 5/4 Fav
2003 Heart Midoltian 6-11-00 Mrs Seamus Neville Seamus Neville Davy Russell 16/1
2002 Native Endurance 6-10-09 Patrick J O’Donovan Paddy Mullins David Casey 11/2
*2001 Sackville 8-11-12 Seamus O’Farrell Frances Crowley David Casey 4/11 Fav
2000 Zourito 7-12-00 Wilson Dennison Arthur Moore Barry Cash 100/30
1999 Ferbet Junior 6-12-00 David Attwood Jessica Harrington Barry Geraghty 3/1
1998 Fiddlers Tune 8-11-05 Herb M Stanley Michael Cunningham A P McCoy 7/2
1997 Linton Rocks 8-11-08 Hon. Mrs Townshend Tim Thomson Jones GB Richard Dunwoody 7/4 Fav
1996 Shanagarry 7-12-00 Patrick Heffernan Patrick Heffernan Conor O’Dwyer 3/1
1995 Camitrov 5-11-03 Jim Lewis Simon Christian GB Richard Dunwoody 7/2
1994 Belvederian 7-12-00 Tony O’Reilly Mouse Morris Graham Bradley 8/11 Fav
1993 Force Seven 6-11-05 Sheila Moore Paddy Mullins Trevor Horgan 11/4 Fav
1992 Milford Quay 9-11-10 W A Jones Martin Pipe GB Peter Scudamore 15/8 Fav
* Run at Fairyhouse
