Gambled-on Keepatem powers home

Keepatem, owned by JP McManus, landed a gamble and left punters smiling when seeing off his 29 rivals to win the Paddy Power Chase at the Leopardstown Christmas Festival yesterday.

Backed down to 7-2 favourite for the big handicap, Mouse Morris’s charge led after the last and galloped on strongly to beat Jaquouille by four lengths, with Kymandjen third.

The winner was held up by Conor O’Dwyer before making steady progress to get into the race with two fences to jump.

Keepatem is the first horse Morris has trained for McManus, who had three runners in the race.

When asked if he had taken part in the gamble on the winner, who was backed from an opening price of 5-1, McManus replied: “I had a few quid on that any of the three would win.”

O’Dwyer added: “They went down to the first couple of fences absolutely flat out, but I never see the point in being in the lead until late on.”

In Moscow Flyer’s absence, the Dessie Hughes-trained Central House landed a pillar-to-post success in the Grade One Paddy Power Dial-A-Bet Chase.

The 9-2 second favourite jumped off in the lead under Paul Carberry and came home two lengths clear of Native Scout.

“The first-time blinkers sharpened him up,” said Hughes.

Tom Foley’s Royal Paradise made all the running to initiate an O’Dwyer double in the paddypower.com Future Champions Novice Hurdle.

“He is a horse that really only does what he has to and it is more than likely he will go for the SunAlliance Hurdle at Cheltenham,” said Foley after his horse’s six-length triumph.

“If I get my own way he won’t run again until then. I don’t want to run him too often as he will take another year to reach his full potential.”