Forza Milan

Forza Milan ran well in the Porterstown Handicap Chase. He was a little keen in mid-division early on for Gavin Brouder. He was still keen as they raced up by the stands with a circuit to go, but he moved up nicely as they raced up to Ballyhack, and he travelled well just behind the leaders as they raced to the fourth last fence. He progressed from there, he jumped to the front over the third last, and he led around the home turn. He was joined by Court Maid and Brace Yourself at the second last, and those two progressive novices went away from him from there, as he tired. He was ultimately just caught by Captain Cj for third place.

It was still a fine run by James Nash’s horse. He hasn’t won over fences yet, but he was a good staying novice chaser last season. He finished second to Castlebawn West in a good beginners’ chase at Fairyhouse on New Year’s Day, and he finished second to Carefully Selected in a Grade 3 contest at Naas later in January, before he went to Cheltenham and finished an admittedly fairly remote fourth behind Ravenhill and Lord Du Mesnil in the National Hunt Chase at Cheltenham in March. His first three runs this season were well below his best novice form, but this was much more like it. He did well to get as close as he did given that he raced keenly for much of the race. A good hurdler when he was with Jonjo O’Neill, there should be a staying handicap chase in him off this type of mark in the mid-130s. The Irish Grand National, over the Porterstown course and distance, would not be an unreasonable long-term aim.

Fairyhouse, 29^th November 2020