Enjoy Responsibly

Enjoy Responsibly put up a really good performance to finish fifth in the Red Rum Chase at Aintree last Thursday. Always in the firing line in a race that was run at a breakneck pace, Henry de Bromhead’s horse’s jumping was good throughout, and he still travelled well in the front rank as they rounded the home turn. He just faded from there, however, as his early exertions took their toll, but that was understandable. The early leader, Next Sensation, faded out of it and, while Pearls Legend and Belenos both raced handily and both stuck on to finish third and fourth respectively, the first and second, Surf And Turf and Darwin’s Fox (Enjoy Responsibly’s stable companion) both came from the rear. Given the breakneck pace at which the race was run, it probably was a significant advantage to be held up away from the front rank.

Enjoy Responsibly is really just an ordinary hurdler, but he is a talented chaser, as is evidenced by a chase handicap mark that is 27lb higher than his hurdles mark. He shaped with a lot of promise over fences on good ground last summer. He won his beginners’ chase at Limerick in July and he ran well to finish second to the evergreen Fosters Cross at Balinrobe in August. He probably went off too fast at Galway in September, he just didn’t have anything left to give on the stiff climb from the final fence at Galway, after two miles and a furlong. You can easily forgive him his four runs during the winter as the ground was just too soft for him.

It is tempting to think that the Gigginstown House horse will be of big interest now back over hurdles off a mark of 102, but the fact remains that his best form by far is over fences, and he will be of more interest again over fences off a mark of 129. At his best on good ground over an easy two miles and when allowed bowl along in front, he will be of interest now in a good two-mile handicap chase on good ground. He would be an interesting outsider in a good race at the Punchestown Festival if he lined up there.

9th April 2015