Beacon Edge

Beacon Edge ran a big race to finish second to Farouk D’Alene in the rescheduled Grade 2 Ten Up Chase at Navan last Tuesday. He was fourth best of the four runners over the first fence, but his jumping warmed up as the race developed, and he and Farouk D’Alene moved on from their two rivals as they left the back straight. It was a good battle between the two Gigginstown House horses from there. Beacon Edge out-jumped his rival at the fourth last fence, the last before the home turn, and he travelled marginally better into the home straight. They jumped the second last as one but, when Beacon Edge moved on between the final two fences, he looked the most likely winner, trading at 1.41 in-running. He just gave best on the run-in, going down by three parts of a length in the end in a race that was run in a good time, just faster than Racing Post par and almost nine seconds faster than the handicap chase run over the same course and distance 35 minutes later.

It was a really good run by Noel Meade’s horse, conceding 7lb to the winner, a 151-rated performer who was beaten a short head by Master McShee in the Grade 1 Faugheen Chase at Limerick at Christmas. As well as that, Beacon Edge is just re-gathering his momentum this season. He won the Grade 1 Drinmore Chase at Fairyhouse in November, in which he had Gabynako and Fury Road behind him, but a slight setback ruled him out of the Christmas festivals, and he fell at the sixth fence in the Grade 1 Ladbrokes Novice Chase at the Dublin Racing Festival. This was his first run since, it was his first completion since November, giving 7lb to a talented and race-fit rival. It was a big performance, and there is every chance that he will come on again for the experience. Winner of the Boyne Hurdle last February and fourth in the Stayers’ Hurdle last March, he could be a lively outsider for the Brown Advisory Chase at Cheltenham. He could be an under-rated novice chaser.
Navan, 22^nd February 2022