Pythion

Pythion put it all together in winning the two-mile handicap chase at Tramore last Sunday. Prominent from early, he settled into a nice racing rhythm for Darragh O’Keeffe, and his jumping was very good. Third behind a decent pace that Jack Holiday set, as is his wont, Mick Winters’ horse moved up on the outside of the leader as they left the back straight final time. He joined the leader at the second last fence, the pair of them clear, he moved to the front on the run to the last, and he cleared away to complete a really impressive performance, clocking a good time and bringing up a treble on the day for his rider.

Pythion was a talented horse on the flat when he was with Ger Lyons. He wasn’t beaten far by Japan in the Group 2 Beresford Stakes as a juvenile, and he finished third in the Ballysax Stakes as a three-year-old, behind Hardwicke Stakes winner Broome and Irish Derby winner Sovereign. Still racing in the David Spratt colours, he only won once over hurdles, but he has been steadily progressing over fences. He ran well at Clonmel in June on just his third run over fences, and this was as nice step forward from that. The handicapper raised him by 8lb to a mark of 111, but that is a mark that should still be well within range and, still only six, he should be able to continue his progression.
Tramore, 3^rd July 2022