Irish staying chasers a motley bunch
But the comfortable success of the grey didn’t half emphasise what a lack of real talent there is among our staying chasers.
The horses which lined up for this sub-standard Grade 1 were the best we had to offer, with the exception of Quito De La Roque, who didn’t exactly set the word alight when a well beaten third behind Synchronised in the Lexus at Leopardstown at Christmas.
Ruby Walsh felt they went a decent gallop throughout in the Hennessy, but Quel Esprit only ran the three miles in 3.7 seconds faster than it took Salsify in the Hunters Chase.
It set me thinking about the last horse to win the Hennessy and then go on to Cheltenham Gold Cup glory, Imperial Call in 1996.
I had it in my head that he recorded a much faster time than Elegant Lord in that year’s Hunters Chase.
So looked it up and discovered such was indeed the case and there was a most respectable 14 seconds between them.
Elegant Lord, who was a cracking horse in his own right, then went on from Leopardstown to beat Cool Dawn in the Foxhunters’ at Cheltenham.
And to really put the icing on the cake the same Cool Dawn progressed sufficiently to win the Gold Cup in 1998.
Anyway what it all leads one towards concluding is that it is impossible to make any sort of case for Quel Esprit next month.
Either that or Salsify — I think plenty of us have essentially underrated him anyway — is a certainty in the Foxhunters’ at Cheltenham!
There’s always hope in this game and, even though we have little chance of success in this year’s Gold Cup, at least one was consoled by the notion that Gigginstown’s Last Instalment was coming through.
Indeed much of the column this week was due to focus on the imposing seven-year-old, who blew us away with that brilliant display of jumping in the Moriarty Chase at Leopardstown.
And then on Wednesday afternoon the news broke that the horse had a problem and was out for the rest of season.
It was most disappointing for both Michael and Eddie O’Leary, but at least they have numerous others to call on and that is some sort of comfort.
But for Philip Fenton it was truly sickening and this really is the type of horse with the capacity to fulfil all the hopes and dreams most trainers must harbour.
At the Cheltenham Festival in 2009 Fenton took the Bumper with Dunguib, who annihilated the opposition.
The sky seemed to be limit for that horse, but it never quite worked out afterwards and now this latest setback has to be a bitter pill to swallow.
Fenton was, understandably, positively purring in the winner’s enclosure after the Moriarty and then, within a short couple of hours, his racing world had changed dramatically.
On Sunday, Last Instalment was simply too strong for a pair of Willie Mullins horses, Call The Police and Lambro, who both jumped and travelled quite beautifully through the contest.
I have a feeling Call The Police and Lambro are going to more than boost the form as the campaign progresses, but no one has died and life goes on.
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SHORTLY before the Listowel Festival of 2009, I asked Dermot Weld if he would be sending many horses to Kerry.
“No”, he said, “but I have one on Friday that will win: Galileo’s Choice.” I knew the horse well and was less than enthusiastic.
The particular Friday was September 18 and Galileo’s Choice hadn’t run since getting beaten into second at Wexford on May 8.
I couldn’t, typically, keep a lid on my concerns, but his patient response was most assuring. “You will see a different horse at Listowel, he has been gelded.”
The race in question was a maiden run over just under ten furlongs, he was partnered by Pat Smullen and scored by eight lengths. I have followed him closely ever since.
Last July at Galway, Dermot was again very sweet on the horse, this time in a maiden hurdle. He won alright, but this time literally fell over the line, beating Drumfire by a neck.
In the wake of that performance it was inconceivable Galileo’s Choice would be considered good enough to even travel to Cheltenham, not to mention being on any short-list as a possible winner.
He subsequently scored twice on the flat, before returning to hurdles in the Grade 1 Royal Bond at Fairyhouse in early December.
He ran a cracker to finish second to Sous Les Cieux, a performance which was far in advance of Galway. Then at Fairyhouse on Wednesday he had his third ever run over flights and went off a long odds-on shot.
The six-year-old sauntered clear in the straight and I know all it told us was that he continues to have four legs and an engine that is intact.
But there was a swagger about it which was just impressive. Are we crazy thinking he now has a real life at Cheltenham?
