Discordantly

Discordantly ran another big race in the Troytown Chase at Navan on Sunday. The Jam Man obviously ran out a really impressive winner, but Discordantly ran another big race in finishing fourth behind him.

Paddy Kennedy had Jessica Harrington’s horse handy from early. A good jump at the first took him into a share of the lead with Cooldine Bog, and he led or disputed from there until the second last fence. His jumping was very good, he quickly got into a nice racing and jumping rhythm. He travelled well in front until he came under pressure on landing over the third last fence, at which point he was challenged first by Roaring Bull, and then by The Jam Man. He picked up in front at the second last fence, but a bad mistake there brought an end to his challenge. He tired from that point, and he was caught by Scoir Mear for third place, but he was only beaten a total of four lengths for the runner-up spot and, but for that mistake at the second last, he might have finished second behind The Jam Man.

This was another step forward by Discordantly. A faller in two of his first five chases, he only won his beginners’ chase last March at Gowran Park, but he put up a good performance on his debut this season to win a competitive handicap chase at Galway last month by 13 lengths off a mark of 132. That was a race in which the leader went clear, and in which Discordantly chased him, but he proved on Sunday that he probably wasn’t flattered by the margin of his victory there, racing, as he was, off a 10lb higher mark. He did well to run as well as he did for as long as he did, racing on the front end from flagfall. He is only six and he may not have reached his peak yet as a staying chaser. The Paddy Power Chase at Leopardstown over Christmas looks like the obvious race for him, at a track at which was running and jumping really well in a beginners’ chase in March on his only visit to date until he came down at the fence opposite the stands.

Navan, 8th November 2020, © Sportinglife.com 9th November 2020