2nd-Dec-2023

This is a really competitive race in which you can make a case for many, but I think that Solness is over-priced.

Joseph O’Brien’s horse has kept really good company in novice contests, he won two of his first five chases and he finished second to Hercule Du Seuil (twice) and Saldier in the other three.  

He could only finish fifth behind Letsbeclearaboutit in a Grade 3 contest at Cork last time, but Letsbeclearaboutit is favourite for the Drinmore Chase tomorrow, and, anyway, that wasn’t Solness’ true running.  He led to the third last, but the combination of Cork soft ground and the two-and-a-half-mile trip seemed to find him out, and he weakened from there.  Even so, he only finished a length behind Lucid Dreams, who ran Imagine to a half a length in the Grade 2 Craddockstown Chase at Punchestown on Sunday.

Solness should appreciate the drop back to an extended two miles today, and the move to handicap company and probably better ground.  He looks at least fairly handicapped on a mark of 138 for this, his first handicap chase.  He has the potential to go beyond that mark now.  And Conor Stone-Walsh was a revelation riding on the flat this season, and he was good in riding his first winner over jumps at Cork on Sunday.  He is real value for his 5lb claim.

Dancing On My Own would have been of big interest if the ground had been a little better, and Grey Diamond is a really interesting recruit to the Gordon Elliott yard.  The Big Chap will be of interest when he steps up to two and a half miles, but Solness is the bet today.  And with most of the main firms betting to four places, he is an each-way bet.

SOLNESS WON (ADV 9/1, SP 7/1)