Tag Archive for: Savills Chase

Conflated claims cosy Savills Chase success

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Conflated put himself firmly in the Cheltenham Gold Cup picture with a dominant success in the Savills Chase at Leopardstown.

The Gordon Elliott-trained eight-year-old was a surprise winner of the Irish Gold Cup over the course and distance last season and went on to run well before falling two from home in Cheltenham’s Ryanair Chase before pushing Clan Des Obeaux close in the Bowl at Aintree.

Expected to improve from his seasonal reappearance in the Champion Chase at Down Royal in October, in the absence of the withdrawn A Plus Tard Conflated was 2-1 favourite and ultimately outclassed his rivals.

Kemboy, winner of this race in 2018 and fourth, second and third in each of the past three years, adopted his customary pacesetting role under Paul Townend, but it was clear the soon to be 11-year-old was struggling to shake off the two years younger Conflated and Jack Kennedy allowed him to stride to the lead heading out onto the second circuit.

In truth the market leader bossed the contest from there home and Kennedy could even afford to begin celebrating on the run-in as he passed the post with five lengths in hand.

Kemboy ran another brave race to be placed once more in second, with the winner’s stablemate Fury Road coming from further back to pick up the bronze medal.

Paddy Power reacted by trimming Conflated’s Gold Cup odds to 14-1 from 33-1, while Coral offer the same price from 40s.

Elliott said: “It was unfortunate that A Plus Tard couldn’t run. The race worked out well and Jack gave him a beautiful ride.

“Paul steadied the pace down and Jack let him stride on. He said the faster this horse goes, the better he’ll be. I thought Jack was wonderful.

“He’s not an easy horse and he’s actually starting to settle now. He was very kinky and Jack said he wasn’t doing a stroke the whole way up the straight. He jumped perfect all the way.

“We don’t gallop him a whole lot and he just does his routine work each day. We left him very short in Down Royal and Jack was thrilled and said he’d come on an awful lot from it.

“I’d imagine he’ll come back here for the Irish Gold Cup but we’ll have to talk to Michael and Eddie (O’Leary) and make a plan.

“There was a lot of talk last season about which race he would go for in Cheltenham but he’ll definitely be going for the Gold Cup this year.”

Conflated with connections at Leopardstown
Conflated with connections at Leopardstown (Alan Magee/PA)

Kennedy, like Elliott completing a treble on the card, said: “Brilliant. The first couple of days have been kind of tough, but we’ve certainly made up for it today anyway.

“Paul slowed it up in front and this lad got a small bit lit up, so I let him on. He dropped it (bridle) again going down the back. He’d actually probably be better off a stronger gallop as well.

“It was a good performance and I’m delighted with him. He’s a brilliant jumper, even short he is able to get up.

“He is a good horse and probably a small bit quirky, but I suppose the penny is after dropping with him and he’s a lot more straightforward now. He was very straightforward today.”

Kemboy and A Plus Tard renew Savills rivalry at Leopardstown

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Familiar foes Kemboy and A Plus Tard cross swords once again in the Savills Chase at Leopardstown on Wednesday.

In eight outings at the Dublin circuit the Willie Mullins-trained Kemboy has only been out of the first four once – with his two victories featuring this race in 2018 and the Irish Gold Cup in February last year.

It was so nearly a second Savills Chase in 2020, only to be caught close home by Henry de Bromhead’s A Plus Tard in a thrilling finish, while he was beaten less than a length into third place 12 months ago.

Kemboy’s last outing was another Grade One near-miss, to A Plus Tard’s stablemate Envoi Allen at Down Royal last month.

Mullins also runs Franco De Port and Royal Rendezvous, the latter winning last season’s Galway Plate and now having his first start since Punchestown in April.

“Kemboy loves the track and he always keeps some of his best runs for here,” said the Closutton handler.

“Franco De Port will probably need a bit of luck to win, but he’ll take his chance. He won at the track over two miles.

“Royal Rendezvous hasn’t run over three miles – the Galway Plate is as far as he’s run – and we felt we’d have a look to see how he goes over longer trips.

“He’s a hard horse to place with his rating and is entitled to run in the race. I’m not sure if he’ll get the trip, but we’ll see.”

Rachael Blackmore and A Plus Tard at Cheltenham in March
Rachael Blackmore and A Plus Tard at Cheltenham in March (David Davies/PA)

Last year’s renewal saw a role reversal for A Plus Tard as he was run down by Galvin, losing out by a head.

He went from there to famously lift the Cheltenham Gold Cup in the hands of Rachael Blackmore, but left connections scratching their heads when pulled up in the Betfair Chase at Haydock on his reappearance. A “couple of issues” were subsequently discovered, however, including unsatisfactory blood test results.

Only fourth at Down Royal, Galvin is back to defend his crown and is joined by his Gordon Elliott-trained stablemates Conflated and Fury Road.

Winner of this year’s Irish Gold Cup, Conflated was one place in front of Galvin at Down Royal, while Fury Road was a Grade Two winner at that meeting.

The field is completed by the Mouse Morris-trained French Dynamite, who is trying three miles for the first time over fences after finishing runner-up in the Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham.