Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Savy Kem can claim a double
ALTHOUGH making his seasonal debut, in the wake of the Supreme fiasco, Kemboy might be capable of repeating last year’s win in the Grade 1 Savills Chase at Leopardstown.
Sporting new colours today, the seven-year-old is probably short of peak fitness. But his performances last season, and his rating of 177 make him the horse to beat.
Enterprisingly ridden by David Mullins to land this event 12 months ago, when slamming Monalee, Road To Respect and Bellshill (with Balko Des Flos back in ninth), a quartet which will re-oppose the Willie Mullinstrained favourite today.
A first fence casualty in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, Kemboy proved his star quality in the spring, producing a sparkling display to beat Thursday’s King George winner Clan Des Obeaux in the Betway Bowl at Aintree.
And he crowned a great season when lowering the colours of Gold Cup victor and stable-companion Al Boum Photo in the Punchestown Gold Cup.
Paul Townend’s mount faces a stern test today with Road To Respect coming into the race on the back of a comprehensive defeat of dual King George winner Clan Des Obeaux in the Ladbrokes Champion Chase at Down Royal when Delta Work, a prolific Grade 1 winner last season in the novice ranks, disappointed in fourth but is expected to produce a much better display here.
And lightly-raced Presenting Percy, a flop when favourite for the Gold Cup at Cheltenham, shaped with plenty of promise when a staying third to Min in the recent John Durkan, a run which suggested Pat Kelly’s charge, winner of an RSA at Cheltenham, might be set to deliver on his potential.
The field also includes a second Mullins runner in Bellshill, which pipped Road To Respect in the Irish Gold Cup here last February. Like the selection, Kemboy, he’s making his seasonal debut.