Solomn Grundy

Solomn Grundy did well to finish fourth in the Paddy Power Chase.  He was well back in the field from early in a race in which it was probably an advantage to race handily, and he was wider than ideal throughout.  The winner, Auvergnat, was never out of the first six, while the runner-up Vieux Morvan, led from early.

Solomn Grundy made some ground towards the end of the back straight, still travelling well, but he seemed to lose momentum at both the third last and second last fences, with the result that he was 10l or 12l behind the leaders as they raced to the home turn.  He stayed on well from there, and he was brave in going through horses to get up for fourth place, closest at the finish. He would have beaten Fitzhenry for third place in another three or four strides.

Henry de Bromhead’s horse was racing off a handicap rating of 129 here, which is 10lb lower than his hurdles mark and he was 7lb well-in even on his chase mark.  He has gone back up to his true mark of 136 now, but he ran better than the bare form suggests, and he still has the potential to progress beyond that mark. This was just his sixth chase and it was just his second run for Henry de Bromhead, he ran a cracker to finish second to De Name Escapes Me – who was seriously well-handicapped on his hurdles form – on his previous run at Navan, so he has plenty of scope for progression now as a staying chaser.  He could get further than this 3m too on this evidence, so it would not be a surprise if connections were thinking about Grand Nationals.

Leopardstown, 27^th December 2018