Chance Du Roy

Chance Du Roy was impressive in winning what looked like a fairly decent two-and-a-half-mile handicap chase at Chepstow on Saturday. Philip Hobbs’s horse was up there most of the way, always just tracking the two pace-setters Or Bleu and Nozic. He travelled well down the back straight, and put in a couple of really neat and accurate jumps. He was travelling best of all on the turn for home and he moved up well to challenge his stablemate Or Bleu just after they took the fifth last. It looked like the son of Morespeed would go on and win easily from here, but he was in front fairly early, fully three furlongs out, and he just seemed to just idle slightly when left on his own. He wasn’t that good at the last and it looked as if he might be overhauled by Or Bleu who was staying on to good effect again, but Chance Du Roy picked up again for Tom O’Brien and he held on to win gamely by just under a length.

There was a lot to like about this performance from Chance Du Roy. Although he wandered around, he did battle on when Or Bleu came close and the pair pulled nicely clear of a useful sort in Prince De Beauchene, a well-backed favourite on the day. The time was good as well, and Chance Du Roy is probably worth more than the winning distance may suggest, given how he just wandered around a bit after hitting the front possibly too soon.

He is still only a seven-year-old, and this was actually only on his fifth ever run over fences. He may get further than this in time. It is difficult to argue with an 8lb hike, but he looks progressive now, there should be a fair bit more to come.

8th January 2011