Defan

Defan put up a nice performance to win the two-mile-one-furlong handicap chase at Listowel last Saturday. Prominent from early, Henry de Bromhead’s horse’s jumping was good early on and he moved up to take a share of the lead with his stable companion Zarkareva as they passed the winning post with a circuit to run. The two stable companions had it between them from then. Zarkareva moved into the lead as they raced down the back straight, but Defan moved back up on the outside as they jumped the last before the home straight, and the pair of them came clear of Benefit Run and Bold Emperor and Espion Du Chenet. It was a good tussle between the two stable companions over the last two fences, but Defan was quickly away on the landing side of the final fence, and he ran on willingly up the run in to get home by a length, with the first two finishing nicely clear of their rivals.
Defan was in receipt of 21lb from his stable companion, but she is a talented performer, and Defan was the winner on merit. Also, there was a lot to like about the manner in which the front two pulled clear. The Kayf Tara gelding’s jumping was slick for a horse who was having just his third run over fences and his first in a handicap chase. He is only five and he has raced just seven times in his life under all codes, so there is plenty of potential upside. The handicapper raised him by 8lb to a mark of 119, but he has the potential to go beyond that mark now. He handles softer ground than this too, he won his maiden hurdle on soft to heavy ground at Limerick last November when his main rival fell at the last, so he will be of interest as we move into the winter.
Listowel, 25^th September 2021