Falcon ensures it’s only ups at Down

SNOW Falcon completed a big-race double at Down Royal for Noel Meade and Sean Flanagan with victory in the MyCarNeedsA.com Chase.

Little over half an hour after pairing up to land the JNwine. com Champion Chase with stable star Road To Respect, the Meade-Flanagan combination was represented by 11-4 chance Snow Falcon, who was last seen landing the Kerry National at Listowel in September.

A strong field of six runners went to post for this Grade Two contest, with Henry de Bromhead’s Monalee the 6-4 favourite ahead of Snow Falcon and Gordon Elliott’s pair of Cheltenham Festival winners in Shattered Love and The Storyteller.

It was clear from some way out only three would be involved in the finish, with Snow Falcon, Monalee and Shattered Love the contenders for victory. However, Snow Falcon was travelling noticeably the best and while Shattered Love made him work for it after the final fence, there was a length and a half between them at the line. Meade and Flanagan were completing a treble on the day overall after also landing the Tayto Group Maiden Hurdle with 6-4 favourite Brace Yourself. Meade said: “It has always been a lucky enough meeting for me since its first inception really. It has always been good to us. “He (Snow Falcon) is lovely horse. We learned a few things about him and he’s better when he doesn’t run too often and when there is a bit of a dig in the ground.”