Full Time Score

Full Time Score stayed on well to win the three-mile rated chase at Fairyhouse last Wednesday. Settled nicely out the back and towards the outside early on by Rachael Blackmore, he made nice ground as they raced across the top of the track, and he travelled well into the home straight, just behind the leaders. Just about a half a length behind the leader Discordantly as they jumped the second last, he made good ground on the near, jumped the last fence in a share of the lead with Discorama, and stayed on well up the run-in to get home by a length from Discorama, with Smoking Gun staying on well late on to take third place, the first three clear.

It was a nice return to form by Henry de Bromhead’s horse. Off the track for almost two years after he ran in his only bumper, he won his maiden hurdle at Fairyhouse on his return in February last year, and he was impressive in winning his beginners’ chase, admittedly against just two rivals, at Gowran Park last March. He was disappointing in the Grade 3 Hugh McMahon Memorial Novice Chase at Limerick next time, he finished well behind Chatham Street Lad and Defi Bleu, but, given a nice break after that, the performance that he put up on his debut this season in the Tim Duggan Chase back at Limerick in December was encouraging. He only finished sixth in the end behind his stable companion Spyglass Hill, but he made nice progress on the outside around the home turn, before lack of a recent run probably told on the heavy ground. He showed the benefit of that run on Wednesday, he put up a career-best performance.

Chris Jones’ horse was 3lb wrong at the weights too, he had a rating of 132 going into the race but, because of the conditions of the rated chase, he had to race off an effective mark of 135. The handicapper raised him by 6lb for the win, to a mark of 138, but that is only 3lb higher than the effective mark off which he raced, and that is more than fair. Trainer Henry de Bromhead suggested afterwards that he could be a horse for the Irish National, and that makes lots of sense. A rating of 138 should get him into an Irish National on a lovely racing weight, and we know that he goes well at Fairyhouse. He is two for two there now, he won his maiden hurdle there in February last year. He still has to prove that he can stay three miles and five furlongs, but he saw out this three-mile trip well, and it is well worth a shot. All his form is on soft or heavy ground, so better ground would be an unknown.
Fairyhouse, 9^th February 2022