Road To Respect heads clean sweep
Gigginstown dominate in Christmas Chase Sizing John “distressed” after finishing seventh
Road To Respect capped a magnificent day at Leopardstown yesterday for Gigginstown Stud when leading home a 1-2-3 for Ireland’s top owner in the Leopardstown Christmas Chase and earning an 8-1 quote for the 2018 Cheltenham Gold Cup.
This fast-improving chaser – he won a handicap at the Cheltenham Festival in March from a rating of 145 – was always handy in a steadily-run race and was then able to find most when the pace lifted from two out, winning by 1¼ lengths.
Gold Cup winner Sizing John proved a major disappointment. His jumping was never fluent and although one of eight horses in with a chance at the second last, he finished tamely and trailed home seventh. He was reported to be distressed following the race and found to be clinically abnormal by veterinary staff.
Winning trainer Noel Meade said: “Everything went to plan. The hood [for the first time] obviously worked well. Sean [Flanagan] rode him the other day and said maybe a hood might help him to settle early. He settled great and he gave him a most beautiful ride. He’s a Gold Cup contender now, so he’ll go for the Gold Cup. Whether he runs in between or not, I don’t know.”
Gigginstown won three other races on the card, including the Grade One Christmas Hurdle with the brilliant mare Apple’s Jade, who quickened up smartly under Davy Russell. There was, however, a sad footnote to the race when this year’s Stayers’ Hurdle winner Nichols Canyon suffered a fatal fall.
His trainer, Willie Mullins has experienced a number of setbacks recently and will be looking to Faugheen to revive spirits in today’s Ryanair Hurdle (2.30), where he faces four inferior rivals.
The recent cold snap claimed yesterday’s Leicester card and has caused the abandonment of today’s meeting at Kelso. Doncaster, the day’s only other jump meeting, must survive an inspection after a forecast of severe frost.
Richard Johnson, concussed in a Boxing Day fall at Wetherby, will be out of action until Tuesday at the earliest. A seven-day break is mandatory after such an injury.